Game 2, Rockets vs. Lakers: How to watch and what to look for

“We’re going to make adjustments, and they’re going to make adjustments,” James Harden said. “We have to be even better in Game 2.”

The Houston Rockets dominated Game 1 of their second-round playoff series versus the Los Angeles Lakers, but there’s much more work to do if they want to knock out the West’s top team from the regular season.

“It sets the tone, but it’s only one game,” said All-Star guard and MVP finalist James Harden, who scored a game-high 36 points. “Playoffs are all about making adjustments. We’re going to make adjustments, and they’re going to make adjustments. We have to be even better in Game 2.”

“Being ahead is great, but we haven’t done nothing yet,” added Russell Westbrook, who helped out Harden with 24 points of his own. “It’s a series. We have to find a way to be as intense the next one.”

Strong defense from the likes of Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker helped limit superstar forward LeBron James to 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting, and the Lakers were -15 in his 37 minutes played. All-Star big man Anthony Davis led the way with 25 points and 14 rebounds, but he didn’t score at all in the 26 possessions that he was defended by Tucker.

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According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Davis has told the Lakers that he’s willing to play more center against the smaller Rockets.

But whether he’s technically listed at power forward or center, Tucker will still be his primary defender. If the Lakers go smaller, with a frontcourt of LeBron, Davis, and likely Kyle Kuzma (as opposed to LeBron, Davis, and a traditional center such as Dwight Howard), the likely rationale would be to increase floor spacing for the superstars on offense.

But even that potential adjustment comes with a tradeoff.

It might give the Lakers more playmaking and shooting on offense, but by making Davis the sole big man, it would blunt their expected advantage in rebounding and rim protection. In fact, the smaller Rockets broke even (41-41) on the glass in Friday’s Game 1.

According to the numbers, the Lakers actually fared better in Game 1 on both offense and defense with Davis at power forward.

The Lakers also have decisions to makes regarding Houston’s 3-point shooters. Going into the series, the Rockets were averaging more than six additional 3-pointers per game than the Lakers in the playoffs, making for a “math advantage” of nearly 20 points per game.

In Friday’s Game 1, the Rockets only attempted one more 3-pointer than the Lakers (39 to 38), which reflected how aggressively that Los Angeles tried to chase Houston’s shooters off the line. Even though they made three more (14 to 11), the Lakers managed to reduce the expected math advantage of the Rockets by more than half.

In doing so, however, the aggressiveness of the Lakers in contesting shooters led to open driving lanes for Harden, Westbrook, and Gordon.

Perhaps the Lakers might dial back that strategy some in Game 2. While cutting off more driving lanes would undoubtedly lead to more 3-point attempts on the perimeter, it’s certainly possible that the notoriously streaky Rockets could have a cold shooting night.

LeBron also indicated that he thought the Lakers would be better able to deal with Houston’s collective team speed in Game 2:

They play with a lot of speed, both offensively and defensively.

There’s no way you can simulate that speed. Getting out on the floor and having a Game 1 will give you a good feel for it.

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With two elite players in James and Davis and the best record in the West all season, the Lakers have plenty of reasons to remain optimistic about their chances in the series. Yet, after Friday’s Game 1, the Rockets are now 3-0 against them after transitioning to the smaller, more versatile lineup. It’s clear that Houston does have some matchup advantages,

While the Lakers certainly have different strategies (relative to Game 1) that they can try, there doesn’t seem to be a slam-dunk move for head coach Frank Vogel to make. If there are adjustments, it will likely be a calculated decision after weighing the costs and benefits of each route.

Game 2 between the Rockets and Lakers tips off at 7:30 p.m. Central on Sunday night, with a national TV broadcast on ABC. For subscribers, the game can also be streamed via the ESPN app.

If Los Angeles wins, the series will be tied and effectively a best-of-five moving forward. If Houston wins, the Rockets would grab a commanding 2-0 series lead. From there, they would only need to take two games within the next five to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

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