HOUSTON - Kobe Bryant has been insisting the Los Angeles Lakers are a much better team than their terrible start indicated. [url=http://www.authentichockeyshopcapitals.com/authentic-john-carlson-c apitals-jersey/]John Carlson Jersey[/url] .For the past two nights, the Lakers have shown he might be rig

HOUSTON - Kobe Bryant has been insisting the Los Angeles Lakers are a much better team than their terrible start indicated. John Carlson Jersey .For the past two nights, the Lakers have shown he might be right.Bryant had 29 points, Wesley Johnson made key free throws down the stretch and the Lakers took advantage of Dwight Howards absence Wednesday in a 98-92 victory over the Houston Rockets.It was the second consecutive win for the Lakers following a 1-9 start.Look, we had a bad start, Bryant said. Are we a 3-9 team? No. Were a much better team than that. We got off to a really bad start, but well (get better).Los Angeles used a 7-1 run, highlighted by Bryants three-point play and capped by four free throws from Johnson, to take a 94-92 lead with less than a minute left. Nick Young and Bryant added two free throws apiece to secure the victory.Young scored 16 points in his second game back from a right thumb injury. He had 17 in his season debut Tuesday night, causing him to jokingly wonder if he was what the Lakers had been missing this season. Bryant didnt argue with that theory.Listen, if thats whats rolling, thats whats rolling, Bryant said, flashing a huge smile. Ill take it.Tarik Black, a rookie who was filling in for the injured Howard (knee), missed a free throw and a jump shot down the stretch.Houston coach Kevin McHale appreciated Blacks effort.He was fighting out there hard, McHale said. He hadnt been in those positions.James Harden had 24 points for the Rockets, who dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season.Los Angeles took its first lead since the second quarter when Young capped an 8-0 run with a nifty reverse layup to make it 82-81 midway through the fourth. Houston missed three 3-pointers and had a turnover during that stretch.The Rockets outscored Los Angeles 8-2 after that to regain an 89-84 lead.The Lakers used a 9-0 run at the end of the third quarter and early in the fourth to cut Houstons lead to 75-74. Ed Davis led the way with four points.The Rockets broke a scoring drought of 4 minutes with a 3-pointer by Patrick Beverley, and another 3 — this one by Jason Terry — that extended the lead to 81-74 with 8 1/2 minutes remaining.Kostas Papanikolaou had a season-high 19 points for Houston. Beverley added 15.Howard sat out with a strained right knee, announced just minutes before the game, and his absence eliminated the drama that accompanied Houstons opening-night win over the Lakers.In that game, Howard had 13 points and 11 rebounds and got into a shouting match with Bryant, his ex-teammate. They received matching technical fouls when Howard elbowed Bryant in the face after grabbing a rebound in the fourth quarter.McHale didnt have any more details on Howards injury after the game.Howard spurned the Lakers in 2013 after one season with them to take about $30 million less as a free agent in Houston.Hardens scoring spree pushed Houstons lead to 75-65 in the third, but then the Lakers scored the last five points of the quarter.___TIP-INSLakers: Los Angeles made 19 of 23 free throws. ... Bryant has led the team in scoring 10 times this season.Rockets: F Terrence Jones missed his eighth straight game with nerve inflammation in his left leg. McHale said Jones is slowly getting better. ... Trevor Ariza had a pair of steals for his NBA-leading ninth game this season with at least two.IN MY DAYLos Angeles coach Byron Scott got a chuckle out of Youngs joke on Tuesday that he is one of the top five shooters in the league. Scott thinks he might need to remind Young how good a shooter he was during his 14-year playing career.Give him a copy of a classic NBA game, Scott said. Just like I used to tell the other guys ... I shot the ball pretty well.WARM WELCOMEJeremy Lin, who spent the previous two seasons in Houston before signing with the Lakers, received a hearty ovation when he was pictured on the big screen and welcomed back to town in the first quarter. Lin finished with three points, four assists and five turnovers.UP NEXTLakers: Visit Dallas on Friday.Rockets: Host Dallas on Saturday. Alexander Ovechkin Jersey . The Wizards gave up two seldom-used players — forward Jan Vesely and point guard Eric Maynor. Vesely goes to the Nuggets, while Maynor gets shipped to the 76ers. Philadelphia receives two second-round draft picks, one from the Wizards in 2015 and one from the Nuggets in 2016. Custom Washington Capitals Jerseys . After seven wins in a row, they have to do it one more time to get into the playoffs. http://www.authentichockeyshopcapitals.com/authentic-devante-smith-pelly-capitals-jersey/ . -- Kael Mouillierat scored three times and set up one more as the St.Featuring equal parts funk and football, MLS ON TSN captures all the action from Vancouver Whitecaps FCs 40th anniversary match this Saturday at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on TSN2. Whitecaps FC don retro 1974-style uniforms to take on the San Jose Earthquakes, celebrating the clubs inaugural match nearly 40 years to the day (May 5, 1974) - when the same two sides kicked off professional soccer in Vancouver. Joining the celebration are MLS ON TSNs Luke Wileman and Jason deVos, who also don 70s-style apparel for the broadcast. In a special 30-minute pre-game show hosted by Wileman and deVos live from BC Place, TSN looks back at the clubs history and features live coverage of the pre-game ceremony, which honours the original 1974 Whitecaps FC team. TEAM Radio, the official voice of Vancouver Whitecaps FC, delivers a special pre-game show beginning Saturday at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT with CTV Vancouvers Perry Solkowski, as well as Paul Dolan and Carlo Corrazin. TEAM Radios Peter Schaad and David Norman are in the booth for the stations live radio coverage on AM 1410 beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Promotion for the 40th anniversary match spreads across Bell Media properties, with extensive pre-game support and coverage locally on CTV Vancouver, TEAM Radio, The Beat 94.5, and 103.5 QM/FM. Nationally, the match has also been a focus across TSN platforms and Canadas most-watched sports news show, SPORTSCENTRE. Bell, the teams Premier Founding Partner, celebrates 40 years of Vancouver Whitecaps FC with the "Spirit of 74" microsite. The site provides fans the opportunity to 74 themselves or a Whitecaps FC player for a chance to win a pair of 2015 Whitecaps FC season tickets. In addition, working alongside Bell, Whitecaps FC will make an honorary donation to one of the clubs main charitable pillars, mental health, to celebraate the clubs 40th anniversary. Alex Ovechkin Jersey. . By bringing a dollar or two to the match on Saturday, or by donating online at whitecapsfc.com/buckup until May 17, fans can #buckup for mental health by directly supporting Claras Big Ride Vancouver Community Champion - The Kettle Society - and the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division. This Saturday, MLS ON TSN also captures Jermain Defoes return to the lineup as Toronto FC hosts New England Revolution at 1 p.m. ET on TSN. BPL Coverage kicks off with Cardiff looking to avoid relegation as they face Newcastle on Saturday at 9:50 a.m. ET on TSN2. At 10 a.m. ET on TSN.ca, Swansea takes on Southampton. Next up, Manchester City looks to catch league-leading Liverpool when they battle Everton at 12:30 p.m. ET on TSN2. On Sunday, its another doubleheader of BPL action, beginning with Arsenal vs. West Brom at 8:30 a.m. ET on TSN, followed by Chelsea taking on Norwich City at 11 a.m. ET on TSN. All MLS and BPL games on TSN and TSN2 are also available live on TSN GO. This weekends MLS and BPL schedule is as follows: Saturday, May 39:50 a.m. ET - Barclays Premier League: Newcastle vs. Cardiff on TSN210 a.m. ET - Barclays Premier League: Swansea vs. Southampton on TSN.ca12 noon ET - Barclays Premier League Live on TSN212:30 p.m. ET - Barclays Premier League: Everton vs. Manchester City on TSN21 p.m. ET - PokerStars Toronto FC on TSN: Toronto vs. New England on TSN2:30 p.m. ET - Barclays Premier League Goal Zone on TSN26:30 p.m. ET - MLS ON TSN Pregame on TSN27 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT - MLS ON TSN: Vancouver @ San Jose on TSN2 Sunday, May 48 a.m. ET - Barclays Premier League Live on TSN 8:30 a.m. ET - Barclays Premier League: Arsenal vs. West Brom on TSN 10:30 a.m. ET - Barclays Premier League Live on TSN11 a.m. ET - Barclays Premier League: Chelsea vs. Norwich City on TSN Stitched NFL Jerseys Jerseys NFL China Nike NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys China China Jerseys Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale ' ' '