LOS ANGELES (AP) - Blood flowed, players were sprawled on the court and the Houston Rockets came into Staples Center and outmuscled Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Monday's games

• Magic 95, Celtics 90 (Magic 1-0)
• Rockets 100, Lakers 92 (Rockets 1-0)

Sunday's games

• Hawks 91, Heat 78 (Hawks win 4-3)
• Nuggets 109, Mavs 95 (Nuggets 1-0)

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Video

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• Preview: Hawks vs. Cavaliers
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Photos

• Sunday's action | Saturday

Yao grabbed his knee and grimaced in pain as he sat on the court. After being tended to, he limped off the court. Moments later, after stretching his knee in the tunnel, he was back in the game.

"It's not an injury. I was not hurt," Yao insisted afterward. "I got hit pretty hard, but I know I am fine and need to walk around, then it will go away and I'll be able to come back to the game.

"I think we were hungry to win the first game, like we had in the first game of the last (series)," Yao said, referring to the six-game win over Portland. "We know we have to respect them. They will come back strong in Game 2."

Yao had eight points after coming back; a jumper and six free throws. He made all 10 of his free throws.

Battier was cut over his left eye and had blood streaming down his face in the closing seconds of the first quarter. He was hit when Los Angeles' Sasha Vujacic swatted a loose ball out to Bryant. The force of the impact knocked Battier to the ground.

Workers spent a few minutes wiping blood off the court.

Battier returned late in the second quarter.

Earlier in the quarter, the Lakers' Pau Gasol had trainers work on a cut over his left eye, and Gasol returned to the game, finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

The Lakers trailed 59-50 with just less than 6 minutes left in the third quarter after Artest hit a 3-pointer. Bryant scored 11 of the Lakers' last 14 points in the quarter, which ended with the Rockets ahead 70-67.

Bryant made three jumpers in just over than 2 minutes, helping keep the Lakers close as both Yao and Brooks drove the baseline for dunks.

Notes