HOUSTON — LeBron James missed shots, complained to the refs and went an entire game without an assist for the first time in his career.

The Houston Rockets, meanwhile, showed they just might be contenders in the Western Conference with a 93-74 win over James and the Cleveland Cavaliers last night.

Yao Ming scored 28 points and Ron Artest added 15 while harassing James on defense most of the night, leading the Rockets to their six consecutive win and ninth straight at home.

James scored 21 points, but went 7 for 21 from the field with three turnovers. He left for good with 4:03 left, the only time in 493 NBA games (counting playoffs) he failed to record an assist.

"I'm not happy with that at all," James said.

To make matters worse, forward Ben Wallace broke his right leg in the second quarter and will miss 4-6 weeks, the team said.

"I'll definitely be back for the playoffs. I'm hoping to come back before then," Wallace said.

LAKERS 132, SUNS 106

LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant scored 22 points as host Los Angeles beat Phoenix, which was playing without Steve Nash, who has an injured right ankle.

ELSEWHERE

Obituary: Norm Van Lier, one of the most popular players in Chicago Bulls history and one of the NBA's top defensive players in the 1970s, was found dead in his home just blocks away from the team's arena yesterday. He was 61. The cause of death was not immediately known, authorities said.

Celtics: Guard Gabe Pruitt apologized yesterday after he was stopped on a Hollywood , Calif., street and arrested for investigation of misdemeanor drunken driving. Pruitt was pulled over around 3 a.m., hours after playing five minutes in the Celtics' 93-91 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. He failed a field sobriety test, police said.