Bryant helps Lakers pull even as series grows testy

Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, Pau Gasol added 22 points and 14 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 111-98 in Game 2 on Wednesday night at Los Angeles to even the Western Conference semifinal series.

Ron Artest, one of two players ejected in the game, scored 25 points and Carl Landry added a career playoff-high 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who overcame a 14-point deficit in the first half only to trail most of the second half.

Emotions boiled over in the second half, with Derek Fisher and Artest getting ejected and five technical fouls assessed, including one to Bryant.

•Celtics tie series: Rajon Rondo had 15 points, 18 assists and 11 rebounds for his third triple-double of the playoffs, and Eddie House scored a career high-shattering 31 points to lead the Boston Celtics to a 112-94 victory over the Orlando Magic and even the Eastern Conference semifinals 1-1 at Boston.

Rashard Lewis had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic, who stole Game 1 and home-court advantage Monday night despite blowing almost all of a 28-point lead.

•Heat focus on Wade extension: Pat Riley’s plan to make the Miami Heat better in 2010 might start with signing Dwyane Wade in 2009.

The Heat president said the team has already broached the topic of getting Wade to extend his contract this summer, instead of waiting for the potentially blockbuster-filled offseason of 2010.

•Howard tops defensive team: Orlando center Dwight Howard, picked last month as the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, drew the most votes for the league’s All-Defensive Team.

Howard was joined by Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Kevin Garnett on the first team.

•Pavlovic broke nose: Guard Sasha Pavlovic broke his nose in the fourth quarter of Cleveland’s Game 1 win over Atlanta on Tuesday night.

Hockey

Hurricanes take 2-1 edge

Jussi Jokinen scored at 2:48 of overtime to lift the Carolina Hurricanes past the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series at Raleigh, N.C.

Sergei Samsonov scored a goal and assisted on Jokinen’s winner. Carolina outshot the Bruins 41-23 to claim a 2-1 series lead.

•Penguins break through: The Pittsburgh Penguins got the victory they needed to get back into their playoff series against Washington.

Kris Letang scored his first career playoff goal on a shot from the point in overtime and the Penguins avoided going down three games to the Capitals, winning 3-2 at Pittsburgh in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

•Doctors clear Wisnieswki: Anaheim Ducks defenseman James Wisniewski has been cleared by doctors and released from an Orange County hospital earlier than the team initially expected.

Wisniewski was hit in the chest by Pavel Datsyuk’s slap shot during the second period of Tuesday’s playoff game against Detroit. He continued to skate but ultimately fell to his hands and knees while coughing blood as play stopped.

•NHL takes on Coyotes: The National Hockey League is planning a showdown in court over the Phoenix Coyotes’ filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the proposed sale of the team to Blackberry boss Jim Balsillie.

League spokesman Frank Brown said attorneys for the NHL would appear in federal bankruptcy court in Phoenix today.

•U.S. advances to semifinals: Dustin Brown, T.J. Oshie and Ryan Suter scored during a 4-minute span of the second period as the United States beat Finland 3-2 in the quarterfinals of the hockey world championships at Bern, Switzerland.

The U.S. will play Russia in a semifinal on Friday.

•Hitmen avoid elimination: Brett Sonne had two goals and two assists as the Calgary Hitmen defeated Kelowna 6-2 in Game 4 of the Western Hockey League championship at Kelowna, British Columbia, denying the Rockets a four-game series sweep.

The best-of-7 series, which Kelowna leads 3-1, resumes today with Game 5 in Calgary, Alberta.

Horse racing

Preakness field expands

There will be no shortage of challengers when Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird tries to win the Preakness Stakes at Baltimore.

The field for the second leg of the Triple Crown grew to nine with Musket Man, General Quarters and Terrain the latest confirmed starters for the May 16 race.

•Stonestreet buys Rachel Alexandra: Kentucky Oaks winner Rachel Alexandra has been sold to Stonestreet Stables, opening the possibility for the filly superstar to run in the Preakness.

•Derby scored big numbers: The Kentucky Derby’s television ratings were the highest in 17 years.

NBC says last Saturday’s coverage of 50-1 long shot Mine That Bird’s win drew a 9.8 national rating and a 23 share. That’s up 11 percent from last year’s 8.8/21.

Miscellany

Other buildings fell

The company that built the collapsed Dallas Cowboys training facility also manufactured at least three other buildings that have fallen in heavy weather since 2002, according to court records.

The other tentlike facilities manufactured by Allentown, Pa.-based Summit Structures LLC or its related company, Cover-All Building Systems, were warehouse-type buildings in Philadelphia and upstate New York and an indoor arena for horse competition in Oregon. All the buildings fell in conditions that included heavy snow.

•Rain stops Indy practice: Rain halted rookie practice for the Indianapolis 500.

Only three drivers made it onto the track for about 45 minutes. After a steady rain for the next five hours, the track was officially closed.

•Patriots lose third-rounder: New England Patriots third-round draft pick Tyrone McKenzie will miss the 2009 season with a torn ligament in his right knee.

The outside linebacker from South Florida tore his anterior cruciate ligament during rookie minicamp on Saturday.

•McPeak retires: Pro beach volleyball star Holly McPeak is retiring from the AVP tour immediately. Her decision comes a month after her husband, Leonard Armato, resigned as commissioner.

•Teams flunk APR: Centenary’s men’s basketball team and Tennessee-Chattanooga’s football squad didn’t make the grade with the NCAA and it cost them a chance to compete for a national championship next season. Those teams became the first to be banned from postseason play because of poor Academic Progress Rate scores.