LeBron James, Lakers fend off Rockets amid tight Western Conference playoffs race
LeBron James picked up a huge block in the final seconds to seal the 104-98 win over the Rockets. (Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
The Los Angeles Lakers got the Houston Rockets on the right night.
LeBron James and the Lakers held on late in the fourth quarter and snuck out with a 104-98 win over the Rockets on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. While the win itself wasn’t anything spectacular, and the Rockets were on the second leg of a back-to-back, it can make a big impact in the Lakers’ quest to land a top seed in the Western Conference come playoff time.
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The two teams were locked up at halftime after what was a brutal first quarter offensively. The two teams combined to shoot just 14-50 in the first 12 minutes, and the Lakers were held to just 16 points. Luka Dončić and the Lakers, though, pushed back and tied the game up at halftime — in part because of this incredible move from Dončić that sent Rockets big man Alperen Şengün down to the court.
It wasn’t until the final few minutes, though, that the Lakers were able to pull ahead for good despite almost blowing it. Thankfully for them, it seemed as if the Rockets were about out of gas, too.
The Rockets hit just two field goals in the final five minutes, which allowed the Lakers to hit several field goals in the last minute to seal the x-point win. The Lakers scored just eight points themselves in the last five minutes of the game, half of which came from the free throw line at the end, but James completely stuffed Şengün hard at the rim and then Dillon Brooks missed a 3-pointer at the end in a last-ditch effort for Houston.
Amen Thompson led Houston with 20 points and five rebounds, and Brooks finished with 16 points. They were among five different Houston players who hit double figures in the loss.
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Dončić finished just shy of a triple-double with 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Both Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent put up 20 points off the bench while combining for 12 3-pointers. James finished with 16 points and eight rebounds.
The Lakers entered Monday’s contest 3.5 games back of the Rockets, who are in second in the Western Conference standings and now hold a 49-27 record. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the only team in the West who have clinched a playoff spot, and they appear to be a lock for the No. 1 seed.
The rest of the Western Conference, however, is completely bunched together. The Lakers started the night firmly in fourth, 1.5 games back from the Denver Nuggets and 1.5 games ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies. The win now has them just a single game back from the Nuggets and 2.5 games out of second — which is still reachable.
The rest of the Lakers’ schedule, though, is far from easy. They have seven games left in the regular season, including two games against the Thunder in Oklahoma City, a rematch with the Rockets and a battle with the Golden State Warriors up next on Thursday. While they can undoubtedly slip, even as far down as a play-in tournament spot, Monday’s win was a big step in ensuring that they can avoid that and make a move for one of the top seeds in the postseason.
