Tempers boil over as LA levels series

Agence France-Presse

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Houston's Ron Artest and Lakers guard Derek Fisher were the two biggest combatants and were thrown out for separate incidents as the Lakers leveled the series at 1-1. There were a total of two ejections and five technical fouls.

Bryant, Artest, Luis Scola, Luke Walton and Lamar Odom were all slapped with technicals.

"If you are going to be physical you have to expect people to be physical back," Bryant said.

The fireworks began in the final 30 seconds of the third quarter as Fisher threw a body check that floored Scola after the latter tried to set a pick. Bryant and Artest were involved in the main event of the game with just under seven minutes left in the game. Artest said Bryant elbowed him under the basket and he wasn't going to take it anymore.

Artest says he is trying to control his temper which has got him in trouble with NBA brass in the past.

"I used to play back home in the neighborhood games like that," Artest said. "I remember one game. This guy I played with. The other team got mad and they broke a piece lead from a table and they through it at him and it went through his heart and he died."

"So I am used to fighting on court," he added. "That is how I grew up playing basketball."