NBA Roundup: Christmas not Bulls' day

 

PAUL BEATY

Houston Rockets Omer Asik left, battles Chicago Bulls' Taj Gibson right, for a rebound during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game in Chicago, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. Houston won 120-97. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

 Posted: Wednesday, December 26, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 5:41 am, Wed Dec 26, 2012.

Associated Press | 

Omer Asik enjoyed his trip back to Chicago. And he got help from James Harden and Jeremy Lin.
Asik returned to the United Center and had a double-double with 20 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets to a 120-97 win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night.
It was his first trip to Chicago since signing with the Rockets in the offseason.
"Omer is a big-time player in the middle," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "Tonight he was blocking shots, getting rebounds, and outletting the ball for us. He's got a big body and sets wide picks for us. This was a very good game for him."
Harden scored 26 points and Lin added 20 points and 11 assists for Houston, which had all five starters score in double figures.
Chandler Parsons scored 23 points and Marcus Morris had 10.
Houston has won six of seven.
Lakers 100, Knicks 94 -- At Los Angeles: Kobe Bryant engineered a second-half comeback, helping Los Angeles beat New York and extend its winning streak to five.
Bryant scored 34 points in his NBA-record 15th Christmas Day game, and Metta World Peace added 20 points and seven rebounds while defending Carmelo Anthony, whose 34 points led the Knicks. Bryant, the league's leading scorer, has topped 30 in nine straight games.
The Lakers improved to 14-14 -- 9-9 under new coach Mike D'Antoni -- and upped their holiday record to 21-18, including 13-9 at home.
The Knicks controlled most of the game behind Anthony and J.R. Smith, who had 24 points. But they struggled offensively in the fourth, when Anthony was limited to seven points, and Smith had five.
Smith's 3-pointer pulled New York to 96-94. After Pau Gasol made one of two free throws, a cold Smith missed another 3 that would have tied the game with 32 seconds left.
Celtics 93, Nets 76 -- Rajon Rondo scored 19 points in his first full game against Brooklyn this season, and Boston beat the Nets in another game with heated moments between the division rivals.
Rondo, sidelined in the first meeting and thrown out of the second after shoving Nets forward Kris Humphries into the courtside seats, outplayed counterpart Deron Williams and helped the Celtics take control early.
Rookie Jared Sullinger tied a career high with 16 points, and Jeff Green had 15 for the Celtics (14-13), who avoided falling under .500 with their second victory in six games.
Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez each scored 15 for the Nets, who have lost four of five.

© 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.thonline.com/sports/other_sports/article_2981ec75-9341-5929-af23-98ffed7dd1a8.html