LAKERS AMISS IN LOSS JACKSON EJECTED; BRYANT IS HURT HOUSTON 102, LAKERS.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

HOUSTON -- In case they needed a reminder of why it was so important to win 12 of those 15 home games to start the season, the Lakers got it Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets when nearly everything that could go wrong did.

They suffered a 102-77 loss in a game that ended with both Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson in the locker room early. Jackson was ejected in the third quarter while Bryant left the bench with 3:33 remaining after suffering a groin strain in the second quarter.

It was a night in which 40-year-old Dikembe Mutombo turned back the clock with one finger-wagging block after another. The Lakers shot a season-worst 34.8 percent and came apart in the third quarter for the second time in as many games.

So went the good feelings from Sunday night's victory over Dallas in only 72 hours. Now 7-9 on the road, the Lakers can fall back on the 16-4 home record built in November and December at Staples Center.

``We're not playing the same basketball we were just three days ago when we were at home,'' Luke Walton said. ``We've got to sit down, figure out what we're doing differently and get back on track.''

Bryant finished with 20 points on 6-of-18 shooting and was hindered by the groin injury. He pulled it when he took an outlet pass in the second quarter and went to accelerate.

As for his availability Friday against Orlando, Bryant was optimistic after the game.

``I should be fine to play,'' Bryant said. ``It'll just take some adjusting. We'll just treat it around the clock like we normally do.

``Hopefully, it'll be closer to 100 percent than it is now.''

Already playing without injured starters Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown, the Lakers can ill afford to lose Bryant. Although it was described as a minor strain, Jackson called it ``a difficult injury to overcome''

There was plenty of time for Jackson to think about all that went wrong. He was ejected by referee Tony Brothers with 15.3 seconds left in the third quarter after arguing that a foul should have been called when Walton was hammered on a drive by Mutombo.

``It just was one of those kind of situations where our guy went to the basket again, got knocked in the stands and there was no call,'' Jackson said. ``That was the second guy in a row. (Maurice Evans) went before him and got knocked into the seats.''

It wasn't the first flare-up between Jackson and Brothers in the quarter. After he was called for his fourth foul with 9:35 left in the third, Brian Cook voiced his displeasure to referee Greg Willard as he headed to the bench.

Without a word said in his direction, Brothers whistled Cook for a technical, leaving Jackson bellowing, ``What's your problem?'' Cook was animated as he yelled, ``I'm not talking to you,'' before taking his seat.

``I don't want to talk about it,'' Jackson said afterward. ``He's not worth talking about anyway.''

The third quarter again was the Lakers' undoing. One night after giving up 46 points to Memphis in the third, the Lakers made just 4 of 22 shots and lost the quarter 25-12 to the Rockets. They scored only 31points in the second half.

``We're just not executing well or coming out with the kind of energy that we need to,'' Bryant said. ``Teams are really busting us in the third quarter. If we can kind of solve that mystery and play at least half the quarter decently, we'll be OK.''

With Yao Ming out a minimum of six weeks with a fractured bone in his right leg, the Rockets started Mutombo at center against Andrew Bynum, leaving an intriguing matchup between the NBA's oldest and youngest players.

Mutombo made history at Bynum's expense in the third quarter. He blocked Bynum twice around the basket to tie and pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -- Bynum's mentor, no less -- for second on the NBA's all-time list.

In signature fashion, Mutombo wagged his finger on both plays. He finished with seven points, 19 rebounds and a season-high five blocks, and now sits second to Hakeem Olajuwon with 3,191 career blocks.

Bryant described Mutombo as ``masterful at what he does.''

Jackson was upset that the Lakers went at Mutombo instead of working around him as the game plan dictated.

The Rockets won even with Tracy McGrady's streak of 30-point games coming to an end at six. McGrady made just 4 of 16 shots but finished with eight points and 12 assists. Shane Battier hit five 3-pointers as Houston went 12 of 36 from long range.

Jackson said he was concerned about his young players staying positive after back- to-back losses. The Lakers play 11 of their next 16 games on the road.

``This is just one of those times in the year,'' Jackson said, ``when you're not playing well, the teams you run against are, and you have to get back and do the things that got you to where you were.''

[e-mail]

[phone]

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Houston's Dikembe Mutombo, right, goes up to block the shot of the Lakers' Andrew Bynum. Mutombo recorded his 3,190th block Wednesday, moving him into second all-time in the NBA.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press