When they faced the Houston Rockets on Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers badly needed a victory to end their three-game losing streak.
They gained that victory, 140-132, although it wasn’t too pretty.
In some ways, the Lakers were robust offensively. They shot 53.8% from the field and set a franchise-low with only two turnovers. But they played in peaks and valleys, especially defensively.
Los Angeles started to build a lead in the second quarter by igniting its fast break and hitting the offensive boards for some second-chance opportunities. It finished with 27 fast-break points on the night, but the Rockets kept fighting back and making things too close for comfort.
In the end though, the Lakers will take the win, no matter how imperfect it was.