Rockets Return to L.A. for Third Matchup with Lakers
Payback Time. Star Flashing. Road Desperation.
The Rockets play their 8th road game of the season tonight, as they battle the Lakers for the third time this season. Houston is the only winless team in the NBA on the road, with a record of 0-7. They’ve had a tough schedule, and many close games, but they’ve yet to taste victory away from Toyota Center this season. That could very well change tonight. The Rockets are facing a Lakers team they’ve played well this season, even dating back to during the Stephen Silas era. Houston has always played LeBron’s Lakers competitively. They won the first matchup in blowout fashion at home, before suffering a heartbreaking one-point loss on the road in the second meeting. This will be the third road game in L.A. this season for the Rockets, and the first two were the squad’s most heartbreaking losses of the year thus far.
It’s payback time, as the Rockets have shown they have the talent and persistence to compete, and beat the Lakers, on any given night. Fred VanVleet and Jae’Sean Tate return to the lineup tonight after missing the previous loss in Denver. Two of Coach Ime Udoka’s most trusted rotational players will certainly give the squad a boost they were missing, as they ran out of gas in the Mile High City. Keep an eye on Jalen Green tonight, he has generally performed well against the Lakers throughout his career. Although this season, his best and worst game have both come against L.A. In the first game, Green scored 28 points on 11-for-15 shooting, and grabbed 7 rebounds in a winning effort. In the second matchup, Green mustered only 9 points on 3-for-10 shooting, and committed 4 turnovers in a loss. Houston’s young star has shown flashes of the superstar the Rockets envisioned they drafted when they selected him with the 2nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. However, Green’s biggest issues since joining the league has been his consistency. And this season is no different. He’s had stellar games, and then games where he appears to be merely a role player. Green was superb in Denver. The third quarter of that game was the best of his entire career. It’s time for Houston’s young star to evolve as he continues to search for consistency. Saturday night’s showdown under the bright lights of L.A. is the perfect launching pad for Green to mesh efficient performances together.
Houston needs to dial up the urgency on the road and play desperate, like their season’s on the line. The Lakers advanced to the knockout round of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, which starts next week. L.A. has matchup against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns in the quarterfinals. Recently, the Lake Show has lost two of their past three games. So, the Lakers could potentially be looking ahead to that enticing quarterfinal matchup, which definitely means more to them than tonight’s tilt with the Rockets. Therefore… Houston has a legitimate chance to end their losing streak tonight, as they face a team they’ve formidably battled twice this season.
Crypto.com Arena: Los Angeles, California
Jersey Colors:
Houston Rockets (8-8): Black
Los Angeles Lakers (11-9): White
Tip-Off: 9:30 PM CT
TV: Space City Home Network, NBA League Pass