LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant arrived home just in time to lead the Los Angeles Lakers into the dream matchup of the NBA playoffs.

After spending most of the last three days in a Colorado courtroom, Bryant had 31 points, six rebounds and 10 assists Wednesday night and the Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 97-78 to win their first-round series 4-1.

The Lakers put the Rockets away with a 33-7 run to finish the third quarter and start the fourth for an 82-59 lead. Bryant had 11 points and four assists during the spurt.

The Lakers and Spurs - winners of the last five NBA championships - meet in the second round starting Sunday in San Antonio.

The Spurs, who swept Memphis in the first round, bring a 15-game winning streak into the best-of-seven series including a 95-89 victory over the Lakers on April 4.

The Spurs eliminated Los Angeles in the second round last spring on their way to the championship, ending the Lakers' bid for a fourth straight title.

San Antonio swept the Lakers in the second round in 1999 en route to its first championship.

Karl Malone had 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists and Shaquille O'Neal added 12 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots for the Lakers. Slava Medvedenko also scored 12 points, showing no ill effects from his strained right Achilles' tendon.

Jim Jackson led Houston with 17 points. Steve Francis had 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists and Cuttino Mobley had 16 points for the Rockets.

Looking worn and surrounded by bodyguards, Bryant showed up at Staples Center 26 minutes before the opening tipoff following the third and final day of pretrial hearings in his sexual assault case in Eagle, Colo.

Bryant definitely didn't appear tired during his best game of the postseason, playing all but one minute of the first three quarters.

He played 41 minutes and shot 12-of-21 along with 6-of-6 from the foul line. He shot 33.8 percent in the first four games of the series.

Bryant left with 6:16 remaining to a standing ovation and was warmly greeted when he reached the Lakers' bench.

Bryant faced the same circumstance twice during the regular season. In December, he arrived during the first quarter against Denver and made a game-winning jumper as time expired. In March, he showed up an hour before the game began and scored 36 points in a victory over Sacramento.

It took Bryant a few minutes to warm up as he missed his first three shots before making six in a row. He was 8-of-13 for 20 points at halftime.

O'Neal, playing with his sore right knee wrapped in a sleeve, had only four points and three rebounds in the first half, which ended with the Rockets on top 48-47.

But he sparked the Lakers by blocking three shots in the third quarter, one of which led to a layup by Bryant that snapped a 52-all tie and put the Lakers ahead for good.

Houston shot 2-of-16 while being outscored 25-9 in the decisive third quarter. The Lakers outscored the Rockets 49-30 in the second half.

Mobley shot 5-of-5 for 14 points as Houston took a 27-24 first-quarter lead. Malone scored 10 points and Bryant had six points and four assists in the period.

The Rockets held their one-point halftime despite committing 13 turnovers in the opening 24 minutes. They finished with 22 turnovers to 12 for the Lakers.

Notes: The NBA previously announced that the second round wouldn't start before next Monday, but amended those plans Wednesday. … Lakers coach Phil Jackson is 14-0 in first-round playoff series - 9-0 with Chicago and 5-0 with the Lakers. … Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy is 5-2 in first-round playoff series. … Bryant will formally enter a plea during a three-day hearing that starts May 10, leaving questions concerning his availability during the Lakers-Spurs series. … Rockets F Clarence Weatherspoon sat out his third straight game with a strained left calf. … After getting fouled in the second quarter, Malone smiled and said something to actor Denzel Washington, sitting courtside. Washington smiled back.