The Los Angeles Lakers came into Sunday’s game against the Houston Rockets needing another win in order to start to build some real momentum. They had won four of their previous five games, but the Rockets, who had recently ended a six-game winning streak, would prove to be a tough competitor on this night.
The Lakers got out to an early 11-4 lead before going cold offensively and falling behind by double digits. They trailed 55-49 at halftime as they seemingly couldn’t buy a bucket from the outside, as they shot just 3-of-15 from downtown in the first half.
Los Angeles finally regained the lead in the third quarter thanks in part to a cluster of turnovers from the Rockets. But after taking a seven-point lead with just over six minutes left in the fourth period, it allowed them to make things very tight down the stretch. Luckily, LeBron James powered the Lakers down the stretch just enough for them to escape with a 105-104 win.
The Purple and Gold finished shooting just 20.7% from beyond the arc, but they made up for it — barely — by outrebounding Houston by a healthy margin. With an 8-6 record, they will host the young Utah Jazz on Tuesday in their fourth in-season tournament game before facing the Dallas Mavericks the following evening. After the Dallas matchup, the Lakers will start a challenging four-game road trip.
Anthony Davis: A-minus
Davis came out aggressive early, scoring 14 points and getting eight rebounds in the first half. However, he picked up his third foul on a charging call with just over three minutes left in the second quarter and spent much of the rest of the game in foul trouble. He ended up fouling out with 58.0 seconds left in the fourth quarter on an offensive foul.
The Lakers made it a point to get him the ball in the low post as the third quarter started, and he responded with 13 points in that period. He finished with 27 points on 11-of-15 field goal shooting, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and one blocked shot in 33 minutes.
Taurean Prince: D-minus
Prince had a couple of nice assists to Davis in the first quarter. But other than that, it was a nightmare performance for him. He went 1-of-11 overall and missed all four of his 3-point attempts, and he finished with two points, four rebounds and two dimes.
If he continues to struggle from the outside, it will greatly constrain L.A.’s set offense.
Cam Reddish: C/C-plus
Like Prince, Reddish struggled offensively, and things were only slightly less ugly for him than they were for Reddish. He missed his first four 3-point attempts, finally making one deep into the third quarter, and overall, he shot just 3-of-9.
But he continues to make a nice impact on the defensive end by anticipating the ball, getting steals and even playing some nice point-of-attack defense. Reddish got three steals on Sunday, and he also added three rebounds and three assists.
D'Angelo Russell: D
Russell had his worst performance of the season so far against the Rockets on Sunday. He went just 1-of-8 and mustered only four points. He did, however, contribute five rebounds, three steals and two assists, although he committed three turnovers in just 24 minutes.
LeBron James: A
As he approaches his 39th birthday, James remains an incredible physical specimen. He shot 14-of-19 from the field, giving him 37 points on the night, and he dished off eight assists, obtained six rebounds and added three steals in 40 minutes.
After Rockets forward Dillon Brooks continued to talk trash at him, James responded in the third quarter by scoring on Brooks and emphatically giving the “too small” gesture.
He shot 5-of-6 in the fourth quarter and made sure the Rockets wouldn’t be able to win this one. With four seconds left and the score tied at 104, the Lakers inbounded the ball to James on the left wing. Brooks inexplicably gambled for the steal, opening up the baseline for the four-time MVP. After getting fouled, he made one of two free throws to provide the final margin of victory.
Right after this game, James admitted that he isn’t feeling great. But he is making sure the Lakers don’t lose too much ground during the first month or so of the NBA season.
Rui hachimura: B-minus
Hachimura started the game cold, but he started to perk up afterward, allowing him to finish with 11 points, even though he shot only 4-of-10 from the field. The forward also helped out with four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 32 minutes.
Austin Reaves: A
Reaves rebounded nicely after two poor games. He shot 5-of-7 overall, hit 2-of-3 from 3-point land and went 5-of-6 from the free throw line to score 17 points to go along with six rebounds and six assists in 25 minutes.
He hit a cold-blooded 3-pointer from around Venice Beach with 23.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Moments later, after the Rockets scored, he was intentionally fouled but made just one of the two ensuing free throws. Still, Reaves was a big part of this victory, especially on a night where multiple non-stars struggled for the Lakers.
Christian Wood: F
This was yet another disappointing game for Wood. In 18 minutes, he missed all four of his shot attempts, with three of them coming from beyond the arc. He finished scoreless, and his only contribution was two rebounds.
Jaxson Hayes: C
In just five minutes, Hayes’ only contribution on the stat sheet was two rebounds.
