Adelman sent Wafer to the locker room in the fourth quarter Wednesday when Wafer protested being taken out of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

"He's on the team," Adelman said. "We talked about it and it's over with. He didn't like coming out (of the game). He doesn't have to like coming out, but it's his job to accept that.

"This is not a one-time thing. A couple things have happened. It's not the right time. It's all about the team.

"That's what Von and I talked about. It's not about individuals. It's not about me. It's my job to coach the team. It's your job to play.

"I did not like his actions when we're in an important game in the fourth quarter. Players have to have more restraint than that."

Wafer would not say what happened or what he thought about the incident, answering questions for 55 seconds.

"We're trying to move forward," Wafer said. "We have the predicted champions tomorrow. We just got to move forward. Everybody just wants to win. Everybody's on the same page. It's time to move forward.

"All families aren't perfect. It's time to move on. We got a game against the Lakers tomorrow. Why talk about what happened last night? It's time to move on."

Asked about previous incidents, he said: "It's time to move on. We got a game tomorrow."

No beef with Kobe

Though he said the Lakers' Kobe Bryant was talking at him throughout Wednesday's game, Rockets forward Shane Battier said that is nothing new and does not bother him.

"I've been playing Kobe eight years now; no different," Battier said. "I really don't care what he thinks.

"I don't think there is a person out here who will come up with a point to think I'm a better player than he is. Nothing I can really do is going to change his mind. Why waste my time. I have much better things to worry about than to worry about what other players think of me.

"I'm going to do my job. I'm going to do it as hard as I can. At the end of the day, I'm going to move on."

Props for Alston

The Rockets had a more immediate reason to be interested in the NBA ruling on Kobe Bryant's elbow and Derek Fisher's flagrant foul, but they were more amused by former teammate Rafer Alston's slap to the head of Celtics guard Eddie House.

"That was the best one of all," Shane Battier said. "It had the best comedic value. Knowing Skip, he never disappoints. Skip man, c'mon.

"It was funny. It was a YouTube sensation."

JONATHAN FEIGENSeries tied 1-1

Gm. Result Top scorer Top rebounder

1 Rockets 100, Lakers 92 Bryant 32 Gasol 13

2 Lakers 111, Rockets 98 Bryant 40 Gasol 14

Gm. When/where TV Radio

3 8:30 today, Toyota Center ESPN 610 AM, 850 AM (Span.)

4 2:30 Sunday, Toyota Center ABC 610 AM, 850 AM (Span.)

5 9:30 Tue., Los Angeles TNT 610 AM, 850 AM (Span.)

6* TBA Thu., Toyota Center ESPN 610 AM, 850 AM (Span.)

7* TBA May 17, Los Angeles TBA 610 AM, 850 AM (Span.)

* - if necessary