"All the Rockets needed was for Shane Battier to out-Kobe Kobe.

Kobe Bryant had drilled one of those turnaround fadeaway jumpers almost no one else should attempt, with Battier's hand rushing toward Bryant's face in time only to wave goodbye.

Battier, however, had seen Bryant play this part far too often.

This time, Battier changed the final act and stole the show. The 6-8 forward scored 11 straight points in the final three minutes, carrying the Rockets to a 109-99 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night at Toyota Center, giving them a three-game home winning streak.

The Lakers' fourth consecutive loss gave them their longest skid since 2007. But Battier thought of all those nights Bryant would not let Los Angeles lose and, on this night, burning Bryant the same way.

"Just a few that I can remember off the top of my head," Battier said of the times Bryant had finished with the same sort of offensive rush. "It doesn't happen very often (for me), a little less than a solar eclipse.

"You enjoy it when you can."

The Rockets got that late burst after the sort of possession that so far this season had been crippling them. When Bryant hit his 19-footer on the Lakers' third shot, he gave L.A. a 97-94 lead with 3:10 left.

"I think that was the turning point," Battier said. "Kobe hit a tough shot, but I was proud of the way we reacted. Instead of just saying, 'Oh, this is Kobe and the Lakers; this is that time for them to take over,' we fought back. That's what you have to do. If you go down, go down firing."

Soon after Bryant hit his jumper, Kyle Lowry found Battier in the corner for a 3-pointer. Bryant then missed, and Battier nailed another 3. After a pair of Bryant free throws for the last of his 27 points, Battier made a move past him and nailed a jumper."