The Houston Rockets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 109-99 Wednesday to hand the two-time defending champions their first four-game losing streak since the 2006-07 season.
Kevin Martin had 22 points and the Rockets scored the last nine points of the game to run away from the struggling Lakers (13-6) before a crowd of 18,116 at the Toyota Center.
Kobe Bryant scored 27 points on 10-for-24 shooting and Lamar Odom added 25 points and 11 rebounds but Los Angeles could not turn things around after previous defeats to Utah, Indiana and Memphis.
The Lakers’ Pau Gasol appeared limited physically as he made just two of eight shots for eight points.
Los Angeles led Houston 97-94 with 3:10 to go, but Shane Battier made two straight three-pointers and scored 11 of his 17 points in the final three minutes to lift the Rockets (6-12).
“Whatever we’re going through is probably good for us. It’s humbling,” Odom told reporters. “(We have to) understand that we can’t win those games if we don’t play basketball the right way and do all the little things we need to do as a group.”
(Reporting by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Steve Ginsburg)
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