The Houston Rockets' Yao Ming looks to pass while being defended by the Los Angeles Lakers' Trevor Ariza on Monday in Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES – Blood flowed, players sprawled on the court and the Houston Rockets came into Staples Center and outmuscled Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Yao Ming, who briefly left with a knee injury in the closing minutes, had 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Rockets to a 100-92 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Ron Artest added 21 points and Aaron Brooks had 19 for the Rockets, who are in the second round for the first time since 1997.
Bryant, who finished a distant second to LeBron James in league MVP voting announced earlier Monday, scored 32 points, doing his best to keep the Lakers in the game despite missing practice on Sunday with a sore throat. He scored 22 of the Lakers’ final 42 points.
Houston forward Shane Battier needed four stitches to close a gash over his left eye late in the first quarter.
The Rockets took the brunt of the hits, but Yao was too much for the Lakers. The Rockets were much livelier on offense and wrested homecourt advantage from the top-seeded Lakers.
Game 2 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
Bryant drove on Yao in the key and the two collided, with Yao falling to the court. Los Angeles’ Pau Gasol picked up the ball for a slam dunk that pulled the Lakers to 85-79 with 4:54 left.
Yao grabbed his knee and grimaced in pain as he sat on the court. After being tended to, he limped off the court. Moments later, after stretching his knee in the tunnel, he was back in the game.
“It’s not an injury. I was not hurt,” Yao said. “I got hit pretty hard, but I know I am fine and need to walk around, then it will go away and I’ll be able to (play).”
“I think we were hungry to win the first game, like we had in the first game of the last (series),” Yao said, referring to the six-game win over Portland. “We know we have to respect them. They will come back strong in Game 2.”
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TUESDAY’S NBA
Atlanta at Cleveland, 5 p.m., TNT
Dallas at Denver, 7:30 p.m., TNT