Steve Blake Nails Game-Winning Three in Dwight Howard’s Face (VIDEO)

The Los Angeles Lakers scored a stunning, wholly satisfying victory against the Houston Rockets and their former teammate Dwight Howard. Steve “#vinoblanco” Blake drilled a dramatic three over Howard’s outstretched arm for a 99-98 win. Per the LA Times: “The Lakers were jubilant on the court, hugging under the basket after Patrick Beverley missed a 27-foot three-point attempt at the buzzer. Then they returned to the locker room to find something else. Kobe Bryant smiling broadly. ‘He was in a good mood,’ Pau Gasol said. ‘He shook everybody’s hand when we got in the locker room.’ Bryant 1, Howard 0. The Lakers were 13-point underdogs but led 38-19 on the way to making a ridiculous 12 of their first 15 three-point attempts. They cooled off badly and looked to be a stumbling mess when they took the ball out of bounds down two points with 10.9 seconds left. They fumbled it at least three times before Houston knocked the ball out of bounds. So after another timeout with 3.4 seconds left, the play was supposed to go to Steve Nash. But Jodie Meeks inbounded the ball to the open Blake, who finished with 14 points. ‘It would have been nicer if the buzzer went off,’ the understated Blake said. The Lakers held their breath through one more timeout and improved to 3-3. They got there in part by employing the Hack-a-Howard, which Lakers Coach Mike D’Antoni criticized last season. Howard was five for 12 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter (five for 16 overall), going four of eight when fouled intentionally.”