LOS ANGELES, 19 April 2004 — The Los Angeles Lakers hung on to beat the Houston Rockets 72-71 in a grinding opening game of their Western Conference playoff series on Saturday.

Hobbled by injuries, the Lakers started strongly on the back of Shaquille O’Neal but then struggled as the center missed four of five late game free throws.

With 16 seconds left, the Rockets, trailing by a point, got one last possession but failed to score, handing the Lakers an initial victory in the best-of-seven series. The Lakers are going for their fourth championship in five years. Kobe Bryant, who had averaged more than 35 points per game towards the end of the regular season, scored just 16 against the Rockets — although 11 of those came in the second half when the crowd began chanting his name in an attempt to draw him into the scoring.

In the game’s most anticipated match-up, O’Neal dominated Rockets center Yao Ming, who fouled out in the waning seconds and ended with just 10 points.

O’Neal led all scorers on Saturday with 20 points, just below his regular season average of 22. “It was an ugly game but we fought our way through it,” O’Neal said.

“Now we know what they are going to do so we can go back and prepare tomorrow and hopefully shoot the ball a little better on Monday.” The Lakers shot a miserable 33 percent from the field, compared to 38 percent for the Rockets and were outscored by Houston in both fast-break and second-chance put-backs.

“That game was misery for us out there,” Lakers’ head coach Phil Jackson said afterward. “I don’t know if it was their defense or our shooting, or a combination of both. Obviously you have to give credit to your opponent.

We struggled, in the second half particularly.” Rockets guard Steve Francis was the key to Houston’s offense and led the team’s scorers with 18 points, threading through Laker defenders late in the game and picking up three key fouls.

Lakers’ guard Gary Payton scored 11 points in the first half but finished scoreless in the second. The Rockets are appearing in the NBA playoffs for the first time since the Lakers eliminated them in 1999. The Lakers bench went into the match-up battered, with three players listed as questionable because of injuries.

Power forward Karl Malone, considered one of the league’s most durable players, sprained his right ankle last week. Although the 40-year-old appeared to struggle elevating for his signature jump shot, Malone finished with seven points and 11 rebounds.

Lakers’ forward Rick Fox started with a dislocated thumb. Forward Devean George and guard Derek Fisher both came off the bench to play despite leg and groin muscle strains.

Game Two of the series is in Los Angeles today.