LOS ANGELES, C.A. -- If you have not noticed yet, open your eyes open widely because today features a game that is sure to bring attitude, intensity, and non-stop grueling between two teams who are trying to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

The Los Angeles Lakers have (somehow-someway) gotten themselves into a Game 7 with the Houston Rockets. A team that is playing with a six-foot-six center in Chuck Hayes and a "noway the listing 6' 9' is right," Luis Scola at power forward. No Yao Ming, no Dikembe Mutombo, and no Tracy McGrady (which is probably a good thing considering the Rockets have "truly" never got out of the first round with him).

The Lakers seemed destined to make the NBA Finals, but now they have people thinking differently.

How is this L.A. team, this roster, and this type of talent in a Game 7 with a team that is running on fumes and operates with a roster that has a midget that weighs under 100 pounds as their point guard?

That's just it.

The pretzel stick out of Portland Oregon himself, Aaron Brooks. A once "scared out of his mine," young point guard never thought he would be The Man for Houston in a Game 7 verse one of the most storied franchises of all-time. Brooks is averaging 17.7 points and three assist a game, playing an average of 36 minutes a game.

Brooks has Phil Jackson thinking, "Houston, We Have A Probelm..." With a roster full of talent, the Lakers have no point guard to defend Brooks. Derek Fisher looks like he's about to collapse. The man is a walking skeleton "these days." And Jordan Farmar is not understanding his role whatsoever. He looks like he should have been on the finale of "Lost."

The Rockets are 5-3 all-time in Game 7's, while the Lakers are 18-7. At home, L.A. is 12-1 all-time in Game 7's. Kobe Bryant's average in Game 7's - - 26.3 ppg.

Kobe has taken a load of shots for the Lakers but where has Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom been? Against a front line of boarder line D-League players, the two should be dominating. Instead, Bynum is averaging less than five points a game and Odom and Gasol are playing softer than a bunch of pretzels. Yes, Gasol has gotten his points and rebounds. But that's like saying Kobe "got his" after he shoots 45 shots. Quit letting an undersized Argentinean (Scola) and a dwarf (Brooks) drive right in and score lay ups... pathetic.

The game will tipoff at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. It's an elimination game that will decide who plays the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. Like Kobe said, "If you want to be an NBA Champion, you have to be able to respond," (ESPNEWS).