Lakers vs. Rockets Takeaways: Six-Game Homestand Feeling Twice As Nice
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets recorded their second consecutive win in a 114-110 victory over the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night. Here are three takeaways from the Rockets' win inside the Toyota Center.
Attacking the paint in the absence of Anthony Davis:
Coach Stephen Silas thought the Rockets would be a 3-point shooting team coming into the season. The Rockets failed short of Silas' expectations. But Houston has found success in their ability to score from the inside.
The Rockets came into the game averaging 54.3 points in the paint, ranked seventh in the league. And in the absence of Anthony Davis, Houston dominated the Lakers from the inside.
"We are a paint team," Silas said. "We are taking that identity, as far as driving the ball, offensive rebounding and getting out in transition and running."
The Rockets outscored Los Angeles 78-46 in points in the paint. Each player who stepped onto the court attacked the Lakers' lack of rim protection.
No player used the absence of Davis' defensive presence more than Kevin Porter Jr. He scored 27 points in the win. But nine of Porter's 11 made field goal attempts came from the inside.
"Since I've been back, I have not been myself on the offensive end — when it comes to making shots," Porter said. "I was trying to be aggressive with A.D. out, and they were small in the paint tonight. We had to attack it."
Jabari Smith Jr. is starting to develop clutch genes:
Jabari Smith Jr.'s streak of scoring 20 or more points in three consecutive games ended against the Lakers. But Smith stepped up huge for the Rockets midway through the fourth quarter.
The Lakers had cut into Houston's double-digit lead late in the third quarter. And by the fourth, Los Angeles came within four points (87-83) with 10 minutes and 17 seconds left in the final period.
Smith helped the Rockets regain their composure by connecting on back-to-back triples to put Houston ahead by 10 points. The 3-point field goal he nailed on his second attempt was a pull-up triple in transition.
He scored nine of his 18 points in the fourth quarter. Smith also added six rebounds and one block.
"He went through the struggles and continued to work through them," Silas said. "He did not pout. He did not deviate from his work. He snapped out of it. He stayed true to what is right. He stayed true to the work. He has been a pleasure to coach."
Relishing in playing spoiler:
The Rockets are not playing for any post-season implications but are relishing the opportunity to play spoiler down the stretch. By defeating the Lakers, Houston prevented Los Angeles from reaching a .500 record and a chance to reach 10th place in the western conference.
"We did not have the year that we wanted when it comes to the record, but I feel like we are learning," Porter said. "Every game, each game, we are trying to win as much as we can. You can see we have fight in us. We definitely want to spoil some teams."
Best performance:
Kevin Porter Jr. had his best game since returning from his toe injury on March 1. But overall, Porter had one of his best games of the season with 27 points nine rebounds and six assists.
Worst performance:
Jalen Green had a forgettable game against the Lakers. He ended the night with 11 points on 4-for-13 shooting, 2-for-6 from behind the arc. Green came into the game averaging 25.2 points on 40.6 percent shooting from the field.
Final Words:
"I am starting to see some consistency amongst our group. I am seeing some consistency as far as where the ball needs to get to and when it needs to get there, and who we are as a team. We just need to clean up the end." — Silas
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