Kobe Bryant was at his most efficient this season, dropping 25 points in three quarters on a 9-of-16 clip. But there was a reason the 17-time all-star didn’t play the final period, as the Lakers were already down by 21 in their 126-97 loss to Houston.A victory in the finale of L.A.’s two-week road trip fell out of reach once the bench started filing in to replace the starting lineup.The Lakers led late in the first quarter, 25-21, but the Rockets blitzed them for a 30-4 run over the next eight minutes. During this stretch, the purple and gold went just 1-of-10 from the field, while turning the ball over eight times.”I thought our first unit was doing a good job,” head coach Byron Scott said. “I thought our second unit was terrible. They came in and all the momentum kind of shifted. They didn’t come in with the same type of energy and the same type of purpose.”Indeed, L.A.’s bench disappointed, shooting just 10-of-30 while being outscored by Houston’s, 55-27.This deficiency left the game lopsided despite Bryant also collecting seven rebounds, six assists, three steals and zero turnovers. The 37-year-old was feeling it from outside, as none of his baskets came from closer than 10 feet.”I feel like my legs are finally starting to catch up,” Bryant said. “Better late than never. It’s like my rhythm’s starting to come back a little bit, legs are moving well.”Kobe Bryant shot 56% tonight with a total of 25 points against the Rockets. Blast Off James Harden showed the Lakers (3-21) why he’s the league’s second-leading scorer by unleashing a 30-point performance in 32 minutes on an 11-of-21 clip. It didn’t take long for the Los Angeles native to assert himself, as he hit all seven of his shots in the first quarter for 16 points. “I’ve always liked him as a player, even when he was in college,” Bryant said. “Now here in the pros, he’s developed his mid-range game. Now he can shoot the 3. He can obviously get to the basket and shoot the pull-up.” While Dwight Howard (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Clint Capela (11 points, 10 rebounds) added double-doubles, Houston’s collective performance stood out even more than its individual ones.The Rockets (12-12) — who led by as many as 29 — got 15 3-pointers from nine different players, including all six reserves. But they did even more damage inside than out, scoring 62 in the paint. Courtside chat with some old foes. Notes D’Angelo Russell went 4-of-4 for nine first-quarter points, but shot just 1-of-10 the rest of the way. … Russell started in place of Jordan Clarkson (sprained ankle) for the second straight game. … Houston’s opportunistic defense tallied 16 steals. … The Rockets allow the league’s highest field goal percentage (47.0), but L.A. shot just 39.8 percent. … The Lakers finished their two-week road trip 1-7. … A crowd of 18,456 sold out Toyota Center.
