Anthony Davis, LeBron James help Lakers tie series vs. Rockets

Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Anthony Davis scored a game-high 34 points and LeBron James chipped in 28 points in a 119-109 Game 2 win over the Houston Rockets to tie their Western Conference semifinals series at 1-1.

Davis also had 10 rebounds and James had 11 rebounds, nine assists and four steals in the victory Sunday in Orlando, Fla.

The Lakers led by as many as 21 points before Houston outscored Los Angeles 41-23 to rally in the third quarter. James and Davis led a stellar defensive effort down the stretch to secure the victory.

"We are at our best when he is in attack mode," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said of James.

The Lakers used a 12-2 run to earn a 20-11 edge through the first 9 minutes. Davis had 11 points in the first quarter while Markieff Morris chipped in 12 points to lead the Lakers to a 36-20 edge after the first 12 minutes.

James scored 13 points in the second quarter to help the Lakers earn a 67-51 lead at the break. Clippers forward Eric Gordon had 15 points in the second quarter.

Gordon continued his hot streak in the third quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers. The Rockets used a 14-0 run at the start of the third frame to cut the Lakers lead to 67-65. The Rockets later used an 11-2 run to take an 85-80 lead with 3:25 remaining in the quarter. The Rockets entered the final frame with a 92-90 advantage.

The Lakers tightened up there defense and allowed just 17 points over the final 12 minutes. They used a 12-2 run to regain control of the game. James scored eight points down the stretch.

"Once you allow a team like that to get going, it's hard to reel them back in," James said. "We got an opportunity to catch our breath and we were able to make adjustments."

James Harden led the Rockets with 27 points. Gordon scored 24 points in the loss. P.J. Tucker had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Rockets. Russell Westbrook had 10 points, 13 rebounds and four assists in the loss.

Morris scored 16 points and had five rebounds off the bench for the Lakers. Kyle Kuzma also chipped in 13 points off the Lakers bench.

The Lakers battle the Rockets in Game 3 at 9 p.m. EDT Tuesday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex inside the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.