Rockets Can Get There From Here

The Houston Rockets didn't win Game 2 against the Lakers on Wednesday night in L.A. And they might not win their Western Conference semifinal series against them, either.

But they know they can now. Which is more than they knew when they entered the series. Even with the Lakers' 111-98 victory that evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1, the Rockets should be heading back to Houston with something they didn't leave with: Confidence.

Lakers 111, Rockets 98: Recap | Box Score | Artest vs. Kobe
Series Tied 1-1 | Next Game: Friday @ Houston, 9:30 PM ET

Don't forget, the Lakers swept their four-game regular-season series with the Rockets this year, and in each and every one of those games showed a dominant fourth-quarter hand that was hard to ignore.

We know the Rockets said they thought they could win before this series began, but who knew if they actually believed it? But if they had any doubt, it should have been alleviated with their Game 1 win on Monday night at Staples, one in which they held off a late Lakers' rally.

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LOS ANGELES - MAY 6: Head Coach Rick Adelman of the Houston Rockets answers questions in a postgame press conference following his team's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 6, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rick Adelman

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LOS ANGELES - MAY 6: Lamar Odom #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up for a shot against Luis Scola #4 of the Houston Rockets in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 6, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lamar Odom;Luis Scola

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LOS ANGELES - MAY 6: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers makes a pass around Yao Ming #11 of the Houston Rockets in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 6, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kobe Bryant;Yao Ming

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LOS ANGELES - MAY 6: Jordan Farmar #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up for a shot against the Houston Rockets in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 6, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jordan Farmar

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LOS ANGELES - MAY 6: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Houston Rockets goes up for a shot against Andrew Bynum #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 6, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Lowry;Andrew Bynum

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LOS ANGELES - MAY 6: Yao Ming #11 of the Houston Rockets and Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers reach for a loose ball in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 6, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Yao Ming;Pau Gasol

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LOS ANGELES - MAY 6: Trevor Ariza #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up for a shot against the Houston Rockets in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 6, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Trevor Ariza

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LOS ANGELES - MAY 6: Derek Fisher #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers answers questions in a postgame press conference following his team's victory over the Houston Rockets in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 6, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Derek Fisher

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LOS ANGELES - MAY 6: Shannon Brown #12 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up for a shot against Kyle Lowry #7 of the Houston Rockets in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 6, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** NAME

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That's something they never sniffed doing in the regular season, having been outscored 127-80 by L.A. cumulatively in the fourth periods. So, in that sense, the victory had to be good for Houston's psyche.

And that positive vibe shouldn't be affected by the Game 2 loss. There is some good to harvest, after all.

First, the Rockets hung in despite Yao Ming not being any kind of factor until the fourth quarter, and only then because Houston got in the penalty very early. Or at least let's make the clarification that the Rockets hung in until just after the Ron Artest-Kobe Bryant debacle which occurred midway through the fourth quarter.

Point is, anyone who saw the game knows it was tight, and that the Lakers couldn't totally shake free.

Sure, it's nice when Yao gets you 28 points and 10 rebounds in a Game 1 win. But it's almost as encouraging to be right there with L.A. in a Game 2 where Yao has one field goal through three quarters.

And, second, the Rockets hung in despite Bryant having a monster game, one in which he scored a ton of points (40) yet was extremely efficient from the floor (16-for-27). That will usually parlay into, shall we say, a much more comfortable Lakers victory than the one we saw Wednesday.

Sure, it's nice when you hold Bryant to 14-of-31 from the field like the Rockets did in Game 1. But it's almost as encouraging to be tied at halftime and down just five with three minutes left in the third with Bryant having one of those special Bryant games.

Bryant was big-time on Wednesday night, but there's going to have to be more where that came from. Shane Battier isn't going anywhere, and for the most part, the Rockets have turned Bryant into a jump shooter or driver into traffic thus far in this series.

In one game, Bryant struggled to knock down his contested jumpers. In the next, he knocked down most of them, contested or not. If you're Houston, you've got to take your chances with that.

Bryant can shake his head "no" after every one of his outside jumpers goes down, but it doesn't mean Battier isn't going to have that same hand in Bryant's face the next time.

Of course, Battier can't guard Bryant, like Bryant kept mouthing all game long as he backpedaled downcourt after a bucket. Nobody is saying Battier can. Nobody is saying anyone can, for that matter.

But what Battier can do to Bryant is irritate him, hand-in-the-face him, chase him, body him and stay in front of him just about better than anyone else out there. And when he can't do it anymore, Artest might come to the scene.

Over the course of the series, that combo might take its toll to the point that some other Laker will have to emerge.

The Rockets can also feel good knowing the Lakers still haven't proven they've answered the toughness question. Yes, Derek Fisher might have laid an egregious shoulder block to Luis Scola, and Bryant might have picked off Artest with an elbow but that's not what we're talking about.

The real dirty work was done by Carl Landry, whose 21 points in 23 minutes show that L.A. hasn't claimed any permanent ownership of the paint.

There were good signs the past few days for the Rockets, who'll head back to Houston all even after seizing homecourt advantage. They've still got a long ways to go ... A long, long ways. But at least they know they can get there.