Lakers vs. Rockets
In a game that the Rockets can’t afford to lose, the Lakers made sure to take away any chances the Rockets had of tying the series. Both teams fought very hard, yet the Rockets continued to find deficiencies on both sides of the floor. 16
The first quarter started out very close, but everyone had seen that the first quarter is no indication of what happens in the rest of the game. The Lakers were able to jump out to a 4 point lead at the end of the first, and exploded in the second quarter. AD continued to create mismatches with his height, and players like Alex Carusco, 16 points, and Rajon Rondo continued to step up in their roles. Lebron James,16 points, was never able to get going and was not able to hit a single three. The Rockets should have been able to make some changes during half, but the Lakers continued their blowout and increased their lead to 16 by the end of the third quarter. James Harden, 2-11 from the field, was not able to get anything to go down and PJ Tucker was not able to get a point even though he played for 33 minutes. Despite the horrible games from Tucker and Harden that put the Rockets down early, they were still able to rally in the 4th around Westbrook, 25 points, and Eric Gordan, 19 points. The Rockets were able to cut the lead down to 5 with less than a minute to go, but the stars for the Lakers were able to close out the game and give L.A a 3-1 lead.
The Rockets will be playing for their playoffs lives, and we will see how James Harden bounces back from a disappointing playoff performance. The Lakers will also try and close out the series, and punch a ticket to the Western Conference Finals.
Final Score: LAL 110 HOU 100
Top Image: AP Imags/ Mark J. Terrill