Two Things to Watch as the Rockets Host the Lakers in a Pivotal Matchup

For the second time in three days, the Houston Rockets will host the Los Angeles Lakers in a pivotal game for Western Conference playoff seeding. The Lakers, who won Monday's game, 100-92, completely controlled the second half to tie the season series at one win apiece.

The Rockets (41-26) are now 1.5 games behind Los Angeles (43-25), who owns the third seed in the West. A win on either side clinches the tiebreaker should they finish the regular season with the same record. It's safe to say that this is one of Houston's most important games of the year.

The Lakers are looking to control tonight's game on the defensive end. After a rough offensive outing from the Rockets, here are two key aspects to watch tonight:

Lakers' Half-Court Pressure

Los Angeles forced 22 turnovers on Monday, seven of which came against Kevin Durant. The 37-year-old was constantly bringing the ball up the floor to initiate sets, but double teams and aggressive help defense held him to 18 points and just two in the second half.

Ime Udoka has leaned into height-heavy lineups, opting to put better ball-handlers like Reed Sheppard on the bench at tipoff. Regardless, ball-handling has been a constant weakness, and opponents thrive on pressure.

Kevin Durant sees a double team and runs backward into a backcourt violation. pic.twitter.com/x6zc0EdSgK
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) March 17, 2026

The Lakers should look to do more of the same tonight, taking advantage of a Houston unit that lacks a true point guard. The Rockets ran their offense almost entirely through Durant, which is why they were held to 92 points. Keep an eye on how they change things up to diversify the game.

Perimeter Shooting

The Rockets shot an abysmal 19% (26 attempts) from three-point range in their last game. Despite grabbing 15 offensive rebounds, they couldn't quite convert from beyond the arc. The only players to hit multiple threes were Sheppard (2-for-5) and Jabari Smith Jr. (2-for-8).

Meanwhile, the Lakers weren't particularly great from the outside either. On Monday, they shot 24% (34 attempts) from deep, with Luka Dončić and Marcus Smart being the only true difference-makers from that range.

Mar 16, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) shoots the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia (12) defends during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Tonight's matchup should feature more offense. Durant had some postgame comments that could have suggested a different approach from Houston moving forward.

Instead of the 6-foot-11 star being the floor general on almost all possessions, the Rockets may have to start him from the perimeter or corner spots to mix things up. Either way, the three-pointer shooting has to improve.