Not long ago Aaron Brooks was a spark plug off the bench for the Rockets, but now he's their starting point guard.

In mid-February, Houston traded guard Rafer Alston to Orlando, shifting Brooks into the starting lineup.

"I was content with my role," Brooks said Friday. "I was happy being a spark plug off the bench. You have a good game or a bad one and (Rafer) would come in and clean it up. There's less pressure on you.

"I was just going out and having fun."

Brooks is averaging 14.8 points in the postseason, and 26.3 points on 57.4 percent shooting in the second round against Los Angeles.

"He has certainly stepped up," coach Rick Adelman said. "He's everything we hoped he'd be."

Since trading Alston, the Rockets are 27-13.

"Aaron is talented," teammate Shane Battier said. "He knows it, but sometimes forgets it. There are times we have to tell him, 'Hey, you're our guy. We don't want anybody else. We just want you. We think you're the guy to lead us.' "