The Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Houston Rockets 98-78 on Friday, sending Houston home and advancing to the second round.
TOP NEWS
The Rockets struggled to put up points from the very start of the game as Kevin Durant‘s absence was felt on the offensive end. While the Lakers were still without Luka Doncic, they managed to put together a more efficient night than the Rockets.
LeBron James was the offensive engine for L.A. as the Lakers led by five points after the first 12 minutes.
In the second quarter, the Lakers played even more efficiently as the supporting cast did their part on both ends of the floor. At the same time, the second frame was Houston’s worst period of the night.
The Rockets connected on just five of their 22 shot attempts in the second quarter as they conceded a double-digit advantage. By halftime, the Lakers were ahead by 18.
L.A.’s scoring run continued into the third quarter, but the Rockets momentarily turned the tide midway through the quarter. After a battle of scoring runs, Houston outscored L.A. by two in the third.
Despite showing a few signs of life, Houston still failed to find any real consistency on the offensive end in the final quarter. The rockets ultimately sank just – of their – three-point attempts on Friday.
James led all scorers with 28 points, seven rebounds and eight assists while Rui Hachimura had 21 points and six rebounds.
For the Rockets, Amen Thompson had 18 points, eight assists and three blocks as Alperen Sengun had 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lakers will now face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
