4th Quarter (:00): Rockets - 108 Lakers - 90.
4th Quarter (1:19): At least when Nick Young comes back, he could help a little.
4th Quarter (1:30): This is going to be a long season for the Lakers.
4th Quarter (1:59): Henry cannot buy anything.
4th Quarter (2:41): Rockets - 104 Lakers - 83.
4th Quarter (3:07): Ed Davis dunks it home after a nice feed by Jordan Clarkson.
4th Quarter (4:58): Rockets - 104 Lakers - 79.
4th Quarter (6:06): How dreadful. Lakers just can't shake the injury bug.
4th Quarter (6:46): It's a broken leg for Randle.
4th Quarter (6:46): Everyone looks disappointed. First game of his career, and his season may be over.
4th Quarter (6:46): Randle is hurting badly. Could be his Achilles. Tough loss. Very tough loss if he is out for a long time.
4th Quarter (6:46): They have brought a stretcher for Randle.
4th Quarter (6:46): Randle is hurting. Looks like he banged his shin.
4th Quarter (7:07): Both teams emptying their bench. Houston up 26.
4th Quarter (7:07): Their nights should be done.
4th Quarter (7:07): Dwight Howard goes to the bench. As does Kobe.
4th Quarter (7:07): So the calls are; a foul on Kobe, a flagrant one on Howard. Technicals on both.
4th Quarter (7:07): Refs checking to see if there should be a flagrant on Howard who was swinging his arms and caught Kobe in the mouth.
4th Quarter (7:07): Crowd chanting Kobe. They really loved that Kobe did not back down from Howard.
4th Quarter (7:07): Kobe and Howard exchanging words. Both get technicals.
4th Quarter (7:26): Ed Davis picks up his fifth foul. All Houston in this fourth quarter.
4th Quarter (7:48): Beveley another three. 26-point Houston lead.
4th Quarter (8:18): Boozer stops the 8-minute Lakers drought with a fading shot.
4th Quarter (8:32): 10-1 Rockets run.
4th Quarter (8:43): Another turnover by the Lakers leads to a Jones and-one play on the other end.
4th Quarter (8:56): Howard with a nice dish to Jones for a two handed flush.
4th Quarter (9:24): Kobe back into the game for L.A.
4th Quarter (10:20): A Beverley three gives Houston a 20-point lead. No field goals by the Lakers in the past 6 minutes.
4th Quarter (10:32): Robert Sacre should be in the game to defend Howard. He is strong and might give Howard some trouble.
4th Quarter (11:37): Impressive move by Papanikolaou to finish at the rim. Good adjustment.
4th Quarter (12:00): Lakers inability to defend the Rockets without fouling has been a huge problem throughout the game.
3rd Quarter (:00): Rockets - 85 Lakers - 69. Xavier Henry missed a pretty easy layup at the buzzer. He looks rusty.
3rd Quarter (1:03): Harden is just so crafty. He hangs his arms low and draws the contact and throws the ball towards the rim.
3rd Quarter (1:03): Harden draws yet another foul.
3rd Quarter (2:34): The Lakers can't do anything about Harden. Easily gets into the lane and gets another one.
3rd Quarter (3:28): Kobe goes to the bench.
3rd Quarter (3:28): Rockets - 78 Lakers - 66.
3rd Quarter (4:15): Terrence Jones picks up his fourth foul.
3rd Quarter (4:27): Ariza another three. This guy's on fire.
3rd Quarter (4:46): Terry answers with a two of his own.
3rd Quarter (5:19): Price hits a three at the shot clock buzzer.
3rd Quarter (5:46): Harden is so good at drawing fouls. Goes back to the line after a foul by Johnson.
3rd Quarter (6:08): Harden 10-10 from the costless throw line.
3rd Quarter (6:08): Kobe picks up his fourth foul. Harden gets an and-one. Kobe remains on the floor.
3rd Quarter (6:27): Rockets - 66 Lakers - 59. Lakers showing some effort on the defensive end.
3rd Quarter (6:52): Lin's penetration is making a difference here in the second half.
3rd Quarter (7;28): Rockets have gone 3 and a half minutes with no field goals..
3rd Quarter (7:45): Rockets - 66 Lakers - 57. Boozer and Lin have come alive. That's what they need from those two. It can't just be Kobe. Boozer has 13.
3rd Quarter (8:01): Lakers on a mini 8-1 run.
3rd Quarter (8:26): Jeremy Lin finally gets his first field goal. The Lakers will need more from him.
3rd Quarter (9:00): Another foul by Houston. Third on Ariza. Lakers are in the bonus.
3rd Quarter (9:10): Four straight turnovers by the Rockets. Lakers not really taking advantage of it.
3rd Quarter (9:47): Another foul on Houston. The Lakers trying hard to scrap back into this one. Down 13.
3rd Quarter (10:01): Boozer another aggressive move. This time draws a foul. The paint opens up with Howard on the bench.
3rd Quarter (10:38): Nice first step by Boozer as he takes it to the rim for two.
3rd Quarter (10:53): Howard picks up his fourth foul. Goes back to the bench.
3rd Quarter (11:01): Ariza another three. Houston plus-21 from downtown.
3rd Quarter (11:40): Lakers inability to guard Howard in the post continues early in this third quarter. Howard draws another foul.
Halftime: 62 points is also way too much for the Lakers to give up.
Halftime: Second leading scorer on the Lakers behind Kobe has 5 points. Yeah...Kobe needs more help.
Halftime: Rockets - 62 Lakers - 45. Harden - 22 pts, 5 asts. Jones - 12 pts, 10 rebs, 2 blks. Howard - 10 pts, 8 rebs. Bryant - 16 pts.
2nd Quarter (:01): Jones puts in a layup close to the buzzer, gives Houston a 17-point lead.
2nd Quarter (:28): Another three by Ariza.
2nd Quarter (:45): Jones is looking good on the floor. Meanwhile, Kobe is doing it all for the Lakers.
2nd Quarter (1:08): Rockets - 55 Lakers - 43.
2nd Quarter (1:29): Howard picks up his third foul on the other end.
2nd Quarter (1:42): Harden continues to draw fouls. Johnson picks up his third.
2nd Quarter (2:34): Harden and Howard have combined for 30 of Houston's 51 points.
2nd Quarter (2:49): Harden stops the bleeding with a driving layup.
2nd Quarter (3:08): What a nice, no-look, bullet pass by Kobe to Johnson for an easy dunk. Lakers within 11.
2nd Quarter (4:01): Finally the Lakers get something in transition. An and-one for Boozer.
2nd Quarter (4:43): Another three by Houston. This time by Harden. Houston by 18 all of a sudden.
2nd Quarter (5:18): Rockets killing the Lakers with threes. Ariza hits another one.
2nd Quarter (5:26): Rockets - 43 Lakers - 31. Lakers just can't find any rhythm offensively.
2nd Quarter (5:50): Harden with a step back three in the face of Johnson.
2nd Quarter (6:13): With Howard off the floor again, the Lakers going right back into the paint.
2nd Quarter (7:18): Lin is a turnover machine, in a game where he needs to prove himself to his old team.
2nd Quarter (7:56): Both teams back with their starters.
2nd Quarter (8:53): Rockets - 37 Lakers - 25.
2nd Quarter (9:07): Kobe set to check in.
2nd Quarter (9:13): But Howard keeps pounding it in the paint. Draws another foul.
2nd Quarter (9:34): Lakers throwing hard doubles on Howard.
2nd Quarter (9:51): Davis takes it at Howard.
2nd Quarter (10:30): Great take by Randle.
2nd Quarter (10:49): Great ball movement by Houston, results into a Lakers foul on Howard.
2nd Quarter (11:12): Lakers shooting 22.2 percent. Rockets at 42.9.
2nd Quarter (11:43): Howard continuing to remain aggressive in the paint.
1st Quarter (:00): Rockets - 31 Lakers - 19.
1st Quarter (:05): Wow! Terry banks in a three at the shot clock buzzer.
1st Quarter (:06): Davis continues to defend the rim. Swats Beverley's shot.
1st Quarter (:54): Terry hits a three.
1st Quarter (1:14): Rockets - 24 Lakers - 19.
1st Quarter (1:20): Kobe doing some coaching on the bench.
1st Quarter (1:35): Clarkson is playing with a lot of confidence and aggression. Draws a foul on Beverley in transition.
1st Quarter (1:56): A lot of fouls so far.
1st Quarter (2:23): Howard back in the game with 2 fouls.
1st Quarter (3:11): Xavier Henry into the game for the first time this year.
1st Quarter (3:20): Kobe on the bench. Let's see who steps it up.
1st Quarter (3:23): Rockets - 20 Lakers - 14.
1st Quarter (3:55): There it is. Jordan Clarkson getting the nice touch on that corner three.
1st Quarter (4:44): It's all Kobe for the Lakers.
1st Quarter (5:40): Jason Terry in the game for the first time. Interesting to see how he does after a lackluster year.
1st Quarter (5:54): This is going to be a problem for the Lakers all season long. Who's going to score outside of Kobe?
1st Quarter (5:55): Rockers - 18 Lakers - 9. Timeout Lakers. Harden with 7 points already.
1st Quarter (6:28): Lin picks up his second foul. Jordan Clarkson into the game.
1st Quarter (6:44): With Howard out, the Lakers attacking the basket.
1st Quarter (7:04): Kobe's jump shot is still on.
1st Quarter (7:18): Howard picks up his second foul as well. Goes to bench. Tarik Black is in.
1st Quarter (7:31): Ronnie Price in for Johnson, who just picked up his second foul.
1st Quarter (8:19): Harden hits a three. That's their specialty.
1st Quarter (8:37): Kobe's on the board.
1st Quarter (8:52): Rockets - 8 Lakers - 3.
1st Quarter (8:56): A three and a foul by Trevor Ariza.
1st Quarter (9:35): Here come the anti-Howard chants.
1st Quarter (9:42): Wesley Johnson hits a three to get the Lakers going.
1st Quarter (10:23): Lakers yet to score.
1st Quarter (10:49): Rockets doing what was talked about in the preview, feeding Howard.
1st Quarter (11:24): Howard scores the first basket of the game.
1st Quarter (12:00): Here we go.
10:44 P.M. EST: And Kobe, of course, heard loud cheers.
10:43 P.M. EST: Howard hearing the boos from the crowd.
10:42 P.M. EST: Nice to see Byron Scott give a speech before the game, thanking the fans.
10:35 P.M. EST: Floyd Mayweather in the house.
10:34 P.M. EST: Time for Kobe Bryant to make his official return.
10:27 P.M. EST: Both teams on the floor, warming up.
10:17 P.M. EST: Under 20 minutes to go!
9:59 P.M. EST: This is the first of a back to back for the Lakers. How many minutes does Kobe receive?
9:23 P.M. EST: Starting lineups: Lakers - Jeremy Lin, Kobe Bryant, Wesley Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Jordan Hill. Rockets - Patrick Beverley, James Harden, Trevor Ariza, Terrence Jones, Dwight Howard.
9:18 P.M. EST: Ronnie Price will play tonight.
9:13 P.M. EST: Byron Scott doesn't know if Xavier Henry will play. He may be active, but may not see any time on the floor.
8:50 P.M. EST: Update: Xavier Henry (knee) will play tonight for this game Houston Rockets - Los Angeles Lakers Live.
8:49 P.M. EST: Ronnie Price and Xavier Henry could actually play.
8:48 P.M. EST: Either way, it should be a fun game Houston Rockets - Los Angeles Lakers. The STAPLES Center crowd should be roaring. The last two times these teams have met for opening night, both games have come down to the wire. Opening night of the 2010-2011 season, Steve Blake burned the Rockets with a game-winning three. Opening night of the 2007-2008 season, Shane Battier buried the Lakers with a game-winning three of his own, so this one should be a highly contested game as well.
8:47 P.M. EST: On the offensive end for the Lakers, Kobe will need some help. Lin and Boozer are two guys who will need to step up and score to give the Lakers a chance in this one. Kobe cannot do it by himself.
8:46 P.M. EST: For the Rockets to prevail, they will need to dominate inside the paint. They need to feed Howard as much as they can since the Lakers are undersized. They shouldn't run down the floor and chuck up threes. Instead, they should slow it down, and let Howard orchestrate the offense. Eventually, Howard is going to draw doubles and will pass it out to the shooters for wide open shots. Basically, the Rockets should play inside-out.
8:45 P.M. EST: It is going to be a tough one for the Lakers to win, despite being home. The keys will be to keep the Rockets off the three-point line, especially their bench, which consists of many three-point shooters. They would also need to keep Howard in check. They will need to throw quick, hard doubles and communicate on defense, so the rotations are crisp. That's no easy task to do, though.
8:44 P.M. EST: With Parsons, Asik, and Lin gone, it will be interesting to see how much Howard and Harden will need to score for them to win.
8:43 P.M. EST: The Lakers injured players include Ronnie Price (knee), Wayne Ellington (concussion), Xavier Henry (knee), Ryan Kelly (hamstring), Nick Young (hand), Steve Nash (back). Meanwhile, the Rockets have everyone healthy.
8:42 P.M. EST: Byron Scott is going to limit Kobe's minutes and with all the injuries, it will be interesting to see how Scott organizes his substitution pattern.
8:41 P.M. EST: The Lakers will need a big night from rookie forward Julius Randle. He had a great second half to the preseason and played with a lot of confidence, but the regular season is a whole different story. Ed Davis also played well during the season, so the Lakers will need his defensive energy once again. Lakers' bench is thin too with all their injuries, meaning Jordan Clarkson will have to play as a backup point guard and possibly shooting guard.
8:40 P.M. EST: Then comes the bench unit for each team. The Rockets are really thin when it comes to their bench. They will need veteran guard Jason Terry to have a huge game Houston Rockets - Los Angeles Lakers for them to prevail, and this is just not for this game for the Rockets. They need a team effort from their bench all season long.
8:39 P.M. EST: Lastly, there is the match up between the two undersized power forwards, Terrence Jones and Carlos Boozer. Jones has the upper hand athletically, while Boozer has the experience and smarts over Jones. It will be interesting to see which side wins this battle.
8:38 P.M. EST: Patrick Beverley will be pesting Jeremy Lin in this game Houston Rockets - Los Angeles Lakers Live like he probably did during practices. Lin have a rough night and might struggle with turnovers.
8:37 P.M. EST: Wesley Johnson and Trevor Ariza should match up nicely. Johnson is long and athletic enough to bother Ariza, while Ariza will be the same type of defender on Johnson on the other end of the floor.
8:36 P.M. EST: Dwight Howard will more than likely have a dominant night. First off, he is going up against Lakers' undersized frontline. Secondly, he is going to come out the gates fired up. Lastly, during the preseason, he seemed to be playing like the Dwight of old. That smells trouble for the Lakers.
8:35 P.M. EST: Now match Houston Rockets - Los Angeles Lakers ups. James Harden and Kobe Bryant will definitely go back and forth at each other on the offensive end. It is going to be a scoring clinic tonight. It will absolutely be an interestingly fun match up.
8:34 P.M. EST: Fourth story: This game Houston Rockets - Los Angeles Lakers Live will be highlighted by Kobe Bryant's official return. He played well during the preseason, but the lights are brighter than ever, and Kobe will have something to prove.
8:33 P.M. EST: Third story: This is a small one and a positive one. Trevor Ariza makes his return to Los Angeles. In a year and half, Ariza stole the hearts of L.A. fans thanks to his timely plays and heroics during the 2009 playoffs. To this day, Lakers fans still appreciate him.
8:32 P.M. EST: Second story: Jeremy Lin will be going up against his old team. Remember, James Harden called Lin and Chandler Parsons the "role players" on last year's team. Lin may have something to prove to Mr. Harden tonight.
8:31 P.M. EST: First story: Dwight Howard returns to Los Angeles where he has been hated for the past year because he left the team on bad terms. Last time, he was at STAPLES Center, he received loud, hateful chants, but Howard took upon himself to tease the crowd along with his teammates.
8:30 P.M. EST: Welcome to Vavel_USA's game Houston Rockets - Los Angeles Lakers Live Inline Commentary and Result, an intriguing match up due to many storylines.