scoreless innings of his last outing on Thursday against T

LOS ANGELES -- There was no warm welcome back. No video montage of highlights that brought back the good old days. That didnt keep Dwight Howard from thoroughly enjoying his first road game against the team he left as a free agent after one tumultuous season. Howard had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Houston Rockets in 134-108 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night that extended the Rockets winning streak to eight games. "Were always going to have fun when were playing basketball. We love what were doing," Howard said. "Were playing great, and we just want to have as much fun as possible." The streak is Houstons longest since a franchise-record, 22-game run in 2007-08 under Rick Adelman. James Harden scored 11 of his 29 points in the final 1:25 of the third quarter and added 11 assists. Wesley Johnson scored 24 points for Los Angeles, and Kendall Marshall had 20 points and 16 assists. The injury-ravaged Lakers remained tied for last place in the Western Conference with Sacramento at 18-36. "The Lakers have always found a way to get back to the top, and they will one day. But I cant focus on the Lakers," Howard said. "My focus is on the Rockets and what were trying to accomplish." It was Howards third game against the Lakers since leaving the organization to sign a four-year, $88 million contract with the Rockets in July. Los Angeles offered the eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year a five-year, $118 million deal to stay. "Hes having a great year there, but I felt he did the same thing here," Lakers guard Jodie Meeks said. "The numbers are almost identical. He had a pretty good year last year -- and for whatever reason, some people didnt think so." Howard played 76 games last season, averaging 17.1 points and a league-best 12.4 rebounds despite residual pain from back surgery -- compounded by a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Howards only season in Tinseltown ended with a whimper -- a four-game sweep by San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs, when he was ejected from what would turn out to be his final game as a Laker for protesting a non-call. The sellout crowd booed Howard every time he touched the ball. It began during warm-ups about 45 minutes before the game, after a few of his ex-teammates came over to say hello at midcourt. The fans then drowned out public address announcer Lawrence Tanter before he could get Howards name out of his mouth during the introductions. Howard received a technical foul just 78 seconds into the game after dunking on Chris Kaman. "I think it was more emotion than anything," Howard said. "I dont know if the ref thought I was talking to Kaman, but one of my friends was sitting courtside and I was just looking at him and having some fun. It wasnt nothing toward the Lakers or any of their guys. I was just talking trash to one of my friends." Less than 90 minutes before tipoff, the Lakers dealt guard Steve Blake to the Golden State Warriors for reserve guards Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks. Coach Mike DAntoni was still talking about Blake in the present tense during his pregame session with reporters before the deal was consummated, and the trade left him with only eight players in uniform and his 28th different starting lineup due to injuries to Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Steve Nash, Xavier Henry and Nick Young. Jordan Farmar returned to the lineup after missing four games because of a sore hamstring, and Meeks was back in action after sitting out five games with a sprained right ankle. Harden helped the Rockets build a 64-43 halftime lead with 15 points in the first game for both teams following the All-Star break. Howard added 14 points and 10 rebounds -- the 10th time this season that he had a double-double by halftime. NOTES: The Rockets were 18 for 35 on free throws, after attempting more than 50 in each of the previous two meetings. ... Bryant hasnt played in any of the games against Houston since he and Howard became ex-teammates. In fact, hes played in only six games altogether. The season series concludes on April 8 at Los Angeles. ... The Lakers have lost seven games by margins of at least 20 or more points. ... Harden scored at least 30 points in each of his previous four games against the Lakers. ... The Rockets began a five-game road trip that will end right back here at Staples Center against the Clippers. Cheap Los Angeles Rams Jerseys . "Back in 2011, when they announced that the game was coming here, we knew that it was going to be pretty important that we had a good year and hopefully could get into it, let alone win it, so I felt some pressure obviously within for sure," Taman said Monday, less than 24 hours after the Riders won the championship. Cheap Rams Jerseys China . Granada defender Diego Mainz barged into the back of Villa to send the Spain striker to the ground inside the area and Costa stepped up to the spot to score his 12th league goal in the 38th minute. Costa showed no effects of the news that his Brazilian citizenship may be revoked after he elected to play for Spains national team, as the forward was a constant threat for Atletico and forced several saves from goalkeeper Roberto. http://www.cheapramsjerseyselite.com/ . - Alex Dostie scored two goals and assisted on another to lead the Gatineau Olympiques to a 5-3 victory over the Drummondville Voltigeurs in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action on Sunday. Cheap Rams Jerseys . MacIntyre stopped 49 shots and the Marlies defeated the Texas Stars 5-1 in Game 1 of the American Hockey Leagues Western Conference final. "I felt in control, so that was nice," MacIntyre said. Cheap Rams Jerseys Authentic . Paul, MN (SportsNetwork.If the Toronto Blue Jays are indeed out of the running for an American League wild card playoff spot, someone might want to let Jose Bautista in on it. The Toronto slugger has continued on a recently torrid pace for the Blue Jays as theyve stayed on the fringes of playoff contention, and hell attempt to continue the run on Tuesday night when they host the Chicago Cubs in game two of a three-game set at Rogers Centre. Torontos win in Mondays opener was its seventh in nine games, though the club remains behind a handful of teams vying for the second and final wild card position. Bautista homered in the 8-0 victory, stretching his current hit streak to 12 games and leaving the ballpark for the 32nd time this season. Hes homered in six straight home games, one shy of joining Hall of Famers Roy Campanella and Willie Mays as the only players in 100 years to hit one in seven straight games at home. His blast on Monday was No. 200 with Toronto. "Im very proud and honored to have done it here," he said. "Im just really happy." The Cubs have scored just seven runs in a four-game losing streak, including a three-hit shutout in Mondays loss to rookie Marcus Stroman. One more loss would equal the five-game skid they endured in mid-July. They face veteran Mark Buehrle on Tuesday, and the lefty will try to erase a strretch of six starts in which hes 0-2 with a 4.dddddddddddd36 earned run average while getting barely more than two runs per game from the offense. He allowed five hits in eight scoreless innings of his last outing on Thursday against Tampa Bay, a game the Blue Jays ultimately won in 10 innings, 1-0. Buehrle hasnt won at home since June 1, but hes 3-2 in seven starts against the Cubs with a 2.42 ERA. Chicago counters with righty Jake Arrieta, whos pitched six innings and allowed two or fewer runs in eight straight starts. He defeated Milwaukee, 7-1, in his last outing seven days ago after going six innings and giving up five hits. Hes not been quite as successful on the road, however, losing three decisions in his last four starts. In interleague play, though, hes won two straight while surrendering a single run in 14 2/3 innings. His last start against Toronto came two years ago, when he was with Baltimore. On Monday, the 23-year-old Stroman (10-5) retired 19 in a row at one point and struck out eight with no walks in his first career complete game. Dioner Navarro had two RBI for the Blue Jays. Chicagos Jacob Turner (5-9) allowed five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits over six innings. The Jays and Cubs are meeting for the first time since 2008, when Chicago took two of three games north of the border. ' ' '