The Los Angeles Lakers came into Wednesday’s game looking for their first back-to-back wins of the season, and they got it against the Houston Rockets, who were without Dwight Howard. Dwight was a late scratch with a strained knee.
The game stayed close for the most part, with the biggest lead by either team being 10. This was the second of a back-to-back for the Lakers, but they did not show fatigue, as they weathered the storm and stole the game in the final minutes.
Kobe Bryant put in 29 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in 40 minutes of play. Nick Young, who has changed the dynamic of the team since his return, chipped in with 16 points off the bench, including a couple of threes.
James Harden, who had just four points at halftime, exploded in the second half to finish the game with 24 points. Without Howard, there was a lot of pressure on him to score and create for others. Rookie forward Kostas Papanikolaou scored a career-high 19 points to go along with six boards.
The Rockets carried a three-point lead into the fourth quarter and at one point, expanded that lead to seven, but they were unable to hold on to it. The Lakers rallied back to cut it to one with 5:35 left in the game. However, Houston pushed its lead to five with 1:57 remaining. From that point on, the Lakers would go on a 12-1 run to close out the game and walk away with a six-point victory.
When the Rockets were up 92-91, Wesley Johnson came up with a huge steal on Harden, took it the distance, got a layup, and drew a foul. The next possession down, Tarik Black missed a four-foot shot, and the Lakers regained possession. They inbounded the ball to Young who was fouled. He hit both costless throws and sealed the game.
The Rockets relied heavily on their three-point shooting for most of the night. They hit 15 threes as a team. More than half of their field goal attempts came from beyond the arc, and that’s what happens when your starting center is not available. The Rockets were a plus-30 from the three-point line but were still unable to conjure up a win.
The Lakers out-rebounded the Rockets 47-38, which helped tremendously. Both Carlos Boozer and Jordan Hill recorded double-doubles for the second straight game. Boozer finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds but struggled most of the second half. Hill totaled 16 points and 10 rebounds. In an important game for Jeremy Lin, he only put in three points on 1-for-5 shooting to go along with five turnovers.
This was yet another impressive road win for the Lakers, even though Dwight Howard wasn’t playing. They now improve to 3-9, while the Rockets drop to 9-3.
The Lakers will get a day off and then face the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, November 21. The Rockets’ next opponent is the Dallas Mavericks as well on Saturday.