BRYANT'S 53 TOWERS OVER YAO LAKERS COME BACK TO WIN IN DOUBLE OVERTIME LAKERS 112, HOUSTON 101.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

There wasn't an argument to be heard Friday night concerning the identity of the NBA's two best players this season. Or that the Lakers and Houston Rockets played one of the games of the year at Staples Center.

The Lakers prevailed 112-101 in double overtime, coming back from 21 points down in the first half of what became a titanic battle between Kobe Bryant and Yao Ming, each of whom nearly finished with a triple-double.

Bryant delivered a season-high 53 points on 17-of-38 shooting and played 54 of the 58 minutes. Yao finished with 35 points, pulled down 15 rebounds and blocked a career-high eight shots in 49 minutes.

When the 3-hour game was over, the Lakers had outscored the Rockets 13-2 in the second overtime and recorded a memorable victory in their second full game without injured forward Lamar Odom.

The Lakers came back from 13 down in the fourth quarter and seven down with 3 1/2 minutes to play, even as Houston opted to intentionally foul Kwame Brown and send the 42.4 percent free-throw shooter to the line late in regulation.

They also overcame the wreckage of a first quarter in which they scored all of 10 points, made 3 of 15 shots and totaled nine turnovers.

But the Lakers still beat the Rockets for the second time in four days, this time in as dramatic fashion as possible.

``It's a big victory for us, to fight from 21 down without our second- best player on the team,'' said guard Smush Parker, referring to Odom. ``It says a lot about this team, first of all, and secondly we just take this momentum and roll on with the rest of the season.''

Bryant had chances to win at the end of regulation and the first overtime. He came back to make the play of the game in the first minute of the second overtime. Bryant dribbled into the lane and hesitated for a second before throwing down a reverse dunk over Yao.

``It felt great for me,'' Bryant said, ``and it confirmed for me that my legs are back because that's in the second overtime, I'm playing long minutes and I'm still able to get to the basket and explode.''

Parker knocked down an open 3-pointer to atone for a miss late in the first overtime and pumped his fist on the way to the bench as the Lakers pushed in front 104-99. He finished with a season-high 17points, 13 from the fourth quarter on.

Coming out of the subsequent timeout, Parker poked the ball free from Luther Head and the Lakers turned it into two points at the other end as Luke Walton was fouled on the fast break and Head was called for a technical foul.

``I challenge myself every day,'' Parker said. ``When I missed that 3, I felt like I had to make a play -- a steal, a shot, good defense, a rebound -- whatever it takes to win the ball game.''

Bryant put the game away with a baseline jumper with 2:22 left, then spread his arms and swooped to the bench like a plane. Bryant usually reserves his signature move for one game a season and Friday's fit the bill.

``Everybody's proud of the way that we played,'' Bryant said. ``We're proud of ourselves and the way that we battled back.''

It was the 13th 50-point game of his career and came after he scored two points and had four turnovers in the first quarter.

The Lakers also made a number of defensive plays in the second overtime. Brian Cook and Brown each blocked Yao and Parker came up with twosteals. Yao was 0 for 3 in the final period.

The Rockets, however, had their chances to win. They couldn't get off a final play in regulation, but got the ball to Yao on one of his sweet spots to close the first overtime. Yao couldn't get his shot from the right side to fall.

They led throughout the first overtime until Cook buried a 3-pointer with 1:29 left that tied the game at 97-97. Bryant scored in the lane but Yao answered with a turnaround jumper to force the second overtime.

Yao had 16 points and sixblocks by halftime and set the tone as the Rockets crushed the Lakers in the first quarter. The Lakers went inside to Vladimir Radmanovic twice in the first twominutes and Yao erased both of his shots helping on defense.

It got so bad for the Lakers that 40-year-old Dikembe Mutombo -- the NBA's senior citizen -- came up with back-to-back blocks against Cook and Maurice Evans in the second quarter. Mutombo wagged his finger in signature fashion after each one.

Bryant bailed out the Lakers in the second quarter, scoring 17 points, including 10 in a row during one stretch. He made 6 of 12 shots in the half but also totaled five turnovers. The Lakers trailed 53-35 and fell behind by as many as 21points.

Brown missed three of four free throws when the Rockets sent him to the line late but kept playing strong defense against Yao as the game wore on. Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy said of Brown: ``He's Shaq-like.''

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) The Lakers' Vladimir Radmanovic, right, gives Houston's Yao Ming enough room to dunk Friday.

(2) The Lakers' Kobe Bryant is caught by Yao Ming in a pick as the Rockets' Luther Head dribbles toward the basket in the second quarter Friday at Staples Center.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer