The Los Angeles Lakers, after a brief set of games at home, are back on the road again to start a three-game road trip, starting with Sunday’s game against one of the most interesting teams in the NBA, the Houston Rockets. Houston had easily the weirdest start to the season, with James Harden’s requests to be traded going public and not having enough players to play in the season opener due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
And yet, despite all of the weird surroundings, the Rockets may ultimately prove to be more of a threat than the chaos would convey. Houston is 3-4 so far this season and they’re coming off of their best game of the season, with Harden and John Wall in the lineup, pummeling the Orlando Magic in a 42-point drubbing.
For the Lakers, Anthony Davis missed the last game with an adductor strain and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has missed the last week after spraining his ankle. If the Lakers are without Davis, they will likely have some trouble with Houston’s Christian Wood, who has been a threat both above the rim and from the outside at the center position for the Rockets. Wood tied a career-high with 15 rebounds in Friday’s win over Orlando.
Also, as a bit of bookkeeping, in Friday’s game without Davis and Caldwell-Pope, Markieff Morris and Wesley Matthews both were in the Lakers’ starting lineup.
Here’s when you should tune in to see the game:
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 10
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: NBA League Pass, Spectrum SportsNet, Fox Sports Southwest
- Spread via BetMGM: Lakers -3.5
Probable starting lineups
Houston Rockets (3-4)
- PJ Tucker
- David Nwaba
- Christian Wood
- James Harden
- John Wall
Lakers (6-3)
- Anthony Davis
- LeBron James
- Marc Gasol
- Dennis Schröder
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
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