Kobe Bryant had 27 points and 10 assists and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 111-104 Friday night to snap a two-game losing skid.

Four other Lakers scored in double figures, including Lamar Odom with 20 points and 12 rebounds and Caron Butler with 21 points.

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming of China (R) shoots past Los Angeles Lakers Chris Mihim during the first quarter of NBA action in Los Angeles, January 7, 2005. [Reuters]

Tracy McGrady led the Rockets with 26 points. Yao Ming scored 25 points before fouling out with 2:18 remaining.

Along with Bryant, McGrady and teammate Bobby Sura donated $1,000 per point to UNICEF to benefit children who survived the tsunamis in Southeast Asia. Sura added 20 points. In all, the three players contributed $73,000. Bryant and McGrady shared a hug at the buzzer.

Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich improved to 2-0 this season against his former team. The Lakers beat the Rockets 84-79 on Nov. 13 in Houston, when an emotional Tomjanovich was honored for his 34 years with the team.

The Rockets cut their 24-point deficit to nine points at the start of the fourth quarter. But the Lakers responded with a 6-0 spurt and then Brian Cook hit consecutive 3-pointers on assists by Bryant for a 95-77 lead with 9:30 remaining.

Helped by McGrady and Yao, the Rockets got within eight points with 5 1/2 minutes left on McGrady's fast-break layup. Yao had four straight points before McGrady scored four in a row.

Bryant's one-handed reverse dunk ignited the crowd and kept the Lakers ahead 98-88. He bumped into Yao and still got off a turnaround jumper for a 104-94 lead with 2:51 left.

McGrady's basket and two free throws by Maurice Taylor put the Rockets within six points with 1 1/2 minutes remaining. Odom took a pass from Bryant and hit a 3-pointer as Los Angeles led 109-100. The Rockets got no closer.

The Lakers dominated the first half from the opening tip, when Chris Mihm swatted the ball away from Yao. Both teams shot poorly in the opening quarter, with the Lakers going 9-for-21 while the Rockets were 5-of-19. Butler scored 11 points, including the Lakers' final seven of the period.

Bryant warmed up in the second quarter, scoring 13 of the Lakers' 17 points during one stretch. Los Angeles built its first 20-point lead with an 11-0 run early in the quarter, when McGrady was scoreless.

The Lakers began the second half with a 24-point lead that dwindled to nine heading into the final 12 minutes. Bryant didn't score at all in the third, when McGrady had 11 points, including three 3-pointers, and Yao 10 for the Rockets.

Editor: Donald