The Los Angeles Lakers came into Sunday’s game against the Houston Rockets needing another win build momentum. They had won four of their previous five games, but the Rockets, who had recently ended a six-game winning streak, proved a tough competitor on this night.
The Lakers took an 11-4 lead before going cold offensively and falling behind by double digits. They trailed 55-49 at halftime as they seemingly couldn’t buy a bucket from the outside. They shot 3-of-15 from downtown in the first half.
Los Angeles finally regained the lead in the third quarter thanks in part to a cluster of turnovers from the Rockets. But after taking a seven-point lead with just over six minutes left in the fourth period, it allowed them to make things tight down the stretch. Luckily, LeBron James powered the Lakers down the stretch just enough for them to escape with a 105-104 win.
The Purple and Gold finished shooting just 20.7% from beyond the arc, but they made up for it — barely — by outrebounding Houston by a healthy margin. With an 8-6 record, they will host the young Utah Jazz on Tuesday in their fourth in-season tournament game before facing the Dallas Mavericks the following evening. After the Dallas matchup, the Lakers will start a challenging four-game road trip.