Houston ? With Yao Ming out, the Houston Rockets had no chance to beat the Los Angeles Lakers. Right?

Wrong.

Aaron Brooks scored a career-high 34, Shane Battier sank five three-pointers and added 23 and the Rockets beat the Lakers, 99-87, on Sunday to even their Western Conference semifinal at two games apiece.

“I think everyone but us got the memo that we weren’t supposed to show up today without Yao,” Battier said.

Luis Scola had 11 points and 14 rebounds as the Rockets got exactly the team effort they needed after Yao broke his left foot in the Lakers’ win in Game 3.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles, and anyone who thought the Rockets were finished without their best player only needed to watch the first quarter on Sunday, when Houston built a 29-16 lead.

Houston never trailed and led by as many as 29 before the Lakers made the score respectable.

Brooks, in his second NBA season, became Houston’s starting point guard when the team dealt Rafer Alston to Orlando at the trade deadline.