[ad_1]
The Lakers tested a new, smaller starting lineup against the Houston Rockets on Thursday night, and either because of that or because of their still stifling defensive intensity (or both), they took the lives of the Houston Rockets for almost an entire year. 110-100 victory that gave them a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals.
The Rockets raced to slash a 23-point lead to 5 points in the quarter and bring things much closer than they should have been late in the game when the Lakers released the gas, but for much of the night, this game was reminiscent of Game 4 of the first round against Portland, when it seemed like the Trail Blazers had their souls crushed.
The Rockets had similar body language for much of Thursday, so while there may be at least one more game left in this series, it’s hard to believe the Lakers haven’t proven themselves to be the superior team at this point. They just need to hope they haven’t just given Houston a spark of life, and make sure they’re locked in for 48 minutes next time, because, as you saw tonight, this Rockets team can heat up quickly.
If someone just looks at the box score they may not be able to tell is It was the game the Lakers were little in. LA absolutely dominated on the offensive and defensive glass, grabbing 26 more rebounds than the Rockets in this game. Anthony Davis (12 rebounds) and LeBron James (15) were key to that stat, and the two stars took on the challenge of making sure this smaller unit didn’t give an inch on the boards. Davis also added 29 points and 2 blocks, while James had 16 points and 9 assists.
But this was not a dominating effort in which the Lakers stars totally led the team. This was a team win in every respect, from everyone who contributed to defense, to Alex Caruso, who had a key corner three to save this game in the last minute, Rajon Rondo, Danny Green and even Talen Horton-Tucker. (in the rookie game). Playoff debut!) And others who contributed multiple points. This was a true equal victory.
The only reason the Rockets were even in this game was the disparity of fouls on the night, but don’t tell your foil-hatted fans about that. The Rockets fired 39 gifts compared to the Lakers’ 16 in a game they still lost by 10, but no, clearly the real reason their offense has fallen apart and they are losing is the continued unfair absence of generational scorer Danuel House. and the 11.4 points per game he scored in the playoffs. The NBA is clearly looking for the Rockets, obviously.
The Lakers should be able to wrap this up with a gentleman’s sweep Saturday in Game 5 as long as they show more of the defense that helped them get past three-quarters in this one, and less of whatever their game is. the stretch was. See you there.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast at iTunes, Spotify, Stapler or Google Podcasts. You can follow Harrison on Twitter at @hmfaigen.
[ad_2]
