Battle of the James’ as Rockets, Lakers, Collide in Houston
Jordan. LeBron. His Airness. The King. Revolutionized the game. Changed the game. Whatever your stance is in the never-ending GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) argument, you have to admit, LeBron James is a force. One the basketball world has never seen, and won’t see again, once he hangs up the jersey for good. Any time you can legitimately say “the” before someone’s name, like the Michael Jordan, you know that person’s status is legendary. Well ladies and gentlemen, the LeBron James and his ragtag crew of rising newcomers and aging veterans, come to town tonight, as the Rockets host the Lakers at Toyota Center, in LeBron’s first game in the purple and gold. LeBron turns 34 this month, old in basketball years, yet the man that seems more machine than human is having another MVP campaign in a career that continues to never slow down. The Human Freight Train and his Lakers are riding a 2 game-winning streak. The Lake Show are outperforming most people’s preseason’s perceptions of how successful the Lakers would be in LeBron’s first season in L.A. Right now, the Lakers are a mere one game out of first place in the sufferable West. A Western Conference, where seeds 1-14 are currently separated by only 5 games, an incredible parity unheard of in NBA history. These 14 teams are beating up on each other, one of the reasons caused by LeBron’s arrival out West. Don’t be fooled by records, these Rockets are much better than the 14th seed in the West, and they’re starting to heat up. James Harden roasted the Lakers last season, averaging more points against the Lake Show than any other team in the league. The Beard had 36 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, in Houston’s first win of the season in L.A., back on October 20th. It was also the contest in which the infamous “spittle” brawl took place, and got Chris Paul suspended for 2 games, resulting in a rocky start to the season for Houston. The personnel that caused that started the brawl, Rajon Rondo and Brandon Ingram, are both out for the Lakers with injuries, so don’t expect any brawls tonight. The Rockets are coming off one of their best team efforts of the year, in a win over the Blazers in their previous game. 7 Rockets were in double figures, with Harden leading the way with 29. Look for the Beard to drop at least 40 tonight, as he is out to prove who the real King James is when the Rockets and Lakers tussle. Houston will be without James Ennis, who suffered a hamstring injury in Tuesday’s contest, and will be on the sidelines for at least two weeks. It’s next man up time in Houston, and the Rockets have plenty of guys capable of filling in and stepping up to provide production in the absence of Ennis. A guy who would be the main source of help for P.J. Tucker, as the NBA’s most underrated defensive player (overall player, in my opinion) as he will have his hands full, and then some, while trying to contain the machine that is LeBron James. Other members of the squad will have to step up on the defensive end. Hopefully, Nene brings the same level of intensity in the paint that he brought last game, as he will be facing off again Tyson Chandler, on the downside of his career, yet still very effective, pesky, and a grinder in the post. Clint needs to play like the All-Star Houston’s seen all season, as the rebounding advantage is a major key as to who wins tonight’s contest. This is a HUGE game for both teams. Despite all the Rockets’ struggles this season, they’re still in a great position to finish with one of the highest seeds in the ruthless West, considering the bruising environment of a Conference in which we could legitimately have 14 teams fighting for their playoff lives in April, something I never expected. The Rockets and Lakers continue to fight in the ongoing battle for playoff positioning in this year’s jam-packed Western Conference. Expect an electric atmosphere in Toyota Center tonight, as any time The James’ meet, it’s must-see basketball. Harden and James are both having excellent seasons once again, to the surprise of no one, and their recent matchups have been exciting, to the say the least. The Lakers are getting better with each passing game, as LeBron adjusts to his new team, and leading his new mix of eclectic teammates. The King always plays hard. One of the many defining elements of his legendary career. James Harden and the Rockets have defining elements too. They’re shot-takers and shot-makers. Houston needs their shots to be falling tonight if they want to beat the King and his upstart Lakers. As Omar said in HBO’s legendary TV series, The Wire, “You come at the King, you best not miss.”
Toyota Center – Houston, Texas
Jersey Colors:
Los Angeles Lakers (17-10) – Yellow
Houston Rockets (12-14) – Black
TV: 7 PM CT – TNT