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Saturday March 15, 2008 4:56 PM


Rockets set to meet Lakers for West's top spot


L.A. Lakers at Houston, Sunday, 2:30 p.m.


Damien Pierce
Rockets.com Staff Writer


HOUSTON -- Before the season tipped off in November, Rockets forward Shane Battier handed his pair of season tickets over to his wife.

He figured it made sense considering that his significant other would like to watch most of his games at Toyota Center.

But four months later, Battier is having second thoughts with the Los Angeles Lakers rolling into town for a showdown that will determine the Western Conference's leader.

"I've heard it's a hot ticket," Battier said. "I'm thinking about having my wife watch it at home and make a few bucks on the open market. Sorry, honey."

He wouldn't have any trouble finding a buyer.

Less than five weeks before the start of the playoffs, the Rockets will host the Lakers Sunday afternoon in what is arguably the most significant regular season game in the history of Toyota Center.

Houston (45-20) is riding a remarkable 21-game winning streak -- the second-longest run in NBA history -- and can gain sole possession of first place in the Western Conference with a win. The last time the Rockets had a share of the top spot in the West after playing at least 50 games was at the end of the 1993-94 season.

The late-season showdown with the Lakers is the result of a stunning two-month turnaround by the Rockets. Back in early January, Houston was 10th in the West and widely considered one of the NBA's most disappointing teams. The Rockets even lost arguably their best player in Yao Ming to a season-ending foot injury.

Now? By Sunday night, the Rockets could be leading the West without any company.

"I don't think any such thought was running through our heads," Rockets point guard Rafer Alston said. "I don't think we thought we were going to lose. But it's hard to imagine going on a streak like this without (Yao). I thought it would be somewhere in between. I just thought we were going to compete and give ourselves a chance to play well."

The biggest challenge to date during Houston's run arrives on Sunday.

Since acquiring Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies, the Lakers have emerged as the favorite to win the West. L.A. is 15-4 since the center joined the team.

With the big man in the fold, the Lakers have produced the NBA's third highest scoring offense at 108.2 points per game.

Kobe Bryant has even emerged as an early frontrunner for the NBA's MVP award.

"They're obviously the best team in the West," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "They've proven that over the season. I don't have to say much to get our guys motivated. We have to play better than we have the past few games."

Unfortunately for the Lakers, Gasol won't be in the lineup.

The 7-footer sprained his left ankle in Friday's setback against New Orleans and has been ruled out against Houston. Ronny Turiaf, who received the bulk of the playing time with Gasol in the locker room on Friday night, is expected to start. D.J. Mbenga, a former backup in Dallas, is expected to get more minutes off the bench after playing little since arriving in Hollywood.

The Lakers won't get much sympathy from the Rockets considering Houston has been playing over two weeks without Yao.

"I ain't feeling sorry for them," Rockets star Tracy McGrady said. "That's for sure."

Despite Gasol's absence, the Rockets aren't expecting things to come any easier against the Lakers.

The man wearing No. 24 would be main reason for that. Bryant is second in the NBA in scoring and has torched the Rockets in recent meetings. So far, he's averaging 37.5 points against Houston in two meetings earlier this season. Houston and L.A. split those games.

With the loss of Gasol, the Rockets are expecting Bryant to be even more aggressive on the offensive end. Throw in the fact that the top spot in the West is up for grabs and that the Lakers have a chance to end Houston's winning streak, and Bryant has plenty of motivation heading into Sunday's game.

"It's going to be a good test for us," McGrady said. "We're playing a good basketball team and a guy that I know is going to come in and want to break this streak. I know Kobe. I know that's where his head is. In his head, he thinks it going to end with him. He's a competitor."

Bryant shrugged off that suggestion saying he doesn't care about Houston's winning streak. But with that said, he appreciates what the Rockets have done.

"People who say that are the same people who said me scoring 81 was nothing because we played against the Toronto Raptors," Bryant said. "It has to have meaning. That's B.S. Every team in the NBA is a tough team. Any time you beat an NBA team or you go on a 21-game winning streak, that's absolutely amazing. If it was that easy, there would've been more teams who've done it."

That's not to say Houston's primary motivation is to maintain their streak.

Sure, the Rockets haven't lost sight of how far they've come over the past two months. Houston has erased a disappointing start and survived after losing one of the game's best big men.

But right now, they've got a chance to take over the lead in the West. That's enough motivation for them.

"Well, this is a big game not because of the streak," Battier said. "We're fighting to get in the playoffs and we're playing a team that we're tied with in the standings. The playoff implications alone make this a big game."