In an Instagram Q&A, Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey says the Feb. 6 debut of new forward Robert Covington in Los Angeles against the Lakers was his favorite win of the 2019-20 season to date.
A day earlier, the Rockets announced the acquistion of Covington from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a four-way trade involving Clint Capela, which made 6-foot-5 P.J. Tucker Houston’s permanent starting center.
That led to a fair amount of jokes on social media about the atypical small-ball lineup utilized by Morey and the Rockets, even though the grouping did offer more defensive versatility.
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But in Houston’s first game after the trade against the Western Conference’s No. 1 team by record — and one led by an enormous Lakers frontcourt with the likes of Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard — the smaller Rockets got the last laugh at Staples Center.
#Rockets #OneMission pic.twitter.com/FgPVsiECl4
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) March 19, 2020
With driving lanes open amid the presence of 3-point shooters at all positions, Russell Westbrook led the Rockets with 41 points (60.7% FG) and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, Covington added four 3-pointers off the bench as Houston defeated the Lakers, 121-111 (box score).
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It was an understandably satisfying win for Morey, particularly given the skepticism that many around the league had showed in the wake of Houston’s unconventional lineup after the NBA’s trade deadline.
The Rockets (40-24) and Lakers (49-24) were scheduled for a Staples Center rematch last Thursday before the season was suspended due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. It remains to be seen whether that game will be played when (or if) the regular season is resumed.
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