Lakers surge late and defeat Rockets for their sixth consecutive win
HOUSTON– During their first meeting of the season on Christmas Day, Lakers coach JJ Redick said the Lakers had been “punked” by the Houston Rockets and vowed it wouldn’t happen again.
On Monday, the Lakers showed their toughness in a 100-92 victory over the Rockets at the Toyota Center.
Even when they faltered in the fourth quarter amid a 1-of-15 shooting streak, the Lakers showed their resilience with a dogged defensive effort that kept them in the game. The Lakers scored just 17 points in the fourth, but they held the Rockets to just 12 points en route to their sixth straight victory.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 36 points, six rebounds and four assists. LeBron James scored 18 points and Austin Reaves had 15 points.
But three big baskets from Deandre Ayton (seven points, 11 rebounds) and a big three-point basket from Marcus Smart (11 points) helped the Lakers open their six-game road trip with a victory.
The Lakers threw double teams at Houston’s Kevin Durant throughout the game, limiting him to 18 points and forcing him to participate in seven of the Rockets’ 24 turnovers.
Third in the Western Conference, the Lakers (43-25) will take a one and a half game lead over the Rockets (41-26) in their rematch on Wednesday evening.
Doncic had what became his typical first-quarter starts, scoring 16 points on seven-of-10 shooting. But Houston took a 58-51 halftime lead after taking control of the rebounds in the second quarter. The Rockets converted six offensive rebounds into 13 points.
The Lakers also struggled to score, shooting just 32 percent from the field and 13 percent (one of eight) from three-point range in the quarter.
After leading by as many as 10 points in the third quarter, the Lakers surged and took an 83-80 lead heading into the fourth. After what happened in Los Angeles in December, the Lakers were determined not to let Houston run away with the game.
“We’re playing hard right now,” Redick said before the game. “Our defense has been better. … As we go along, guys are playing the roles that this team needs for us to be successful.”
Note: Lakers backup center Maxi Kleber did not play as he continues to recover from a lumbar back strain. “He was off for five days to heal,” Redick said. “He is not with us at the moment and we hope he can join us later in the trip.”
