Three Takeaways As Rockets Bounce Back on Christmas Day Against Lakers

It has been a nightmare stretch recently for the Houston Rockets.

Four of the last five games were not just simple losses. From overtime blunders, late-game meltdowns and underwhelming displays, the Rockets encountered major questions about whether they truly have what it takes to capably compete for a title this season.

But on Christmas Day, it was good to see that Houston was is back, at least for now. The group infiltrated Los Angeles and outlasted the Lakers with a 119-96 victory in their holiday showdown in front of a sellout crowd of Crypto.com Arena.

Rockets fans can finally take a sigh of relief, but can only hope that this major victory will kickstart something positive for Ime Udoka and the entire team again.

Here are the key takeaways of the dominant win:

1. Balance Scoring Leads To A Perfect Win

The Rockets came out firing as their main present for the Rockets fanbase on Thursday evening.

With six different players scoring 13+ points, the Rockets were just way too overwhelming for the Lakers to handle. Houston shot a highly accurate 53 percent from the field and nailed 33 percent of their three-point attempts.

Amen Thompson was a monster for the Rockets, as his 26 points in 12-of-19 shooting led the team to demolish the Lakers. Kevin Durant also had himself a strong night for his 13th Christmas Day game, pouring 25 points with an impressive passing clinic en route to nine dimes.

2. Finally, the Rockets Successfully Maintained Their Momentum

The past couple of games were simply traumatic for the Clutch City fanbase because of blown leads. The Rockets have committed agonizing choke jobs, which led to their horrible downslide this month.

But tonight, the Rockets completed their main assignment of taking care of their momentum. They led 63-53 at halftime, and further expanded their lead by 24 to completely own the game.

Of course, the Rockets earned a significant advantage from Austin Reaves' calf injury exit, but they deserve plenty of credit for finally securing their deficits and not allowing the Lakers to ignite comeback attempts.

3. Dorian Finney-Smith Makes His Season Debut

At last, Dorian Finney-Smith finally suited up as Houston Rocket,

The veteran forward made his Rockets debut this Christmas Day after missing the first 27 games of the 2025-26 season after his ankle surgery recovery, playing 13 minutes.

Although he didn't log any statistical numbers throughout his appearance, the Rockets couldn't care less about it. Finney-Smith will remain pivotal with his defense, leadership and versatility as the season continues for Houston.