The Houston Rockets made a statement against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, grabbing a 115-96 Game 4 victory to avoid a sweep.
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LeBron James struggled offensively all night and the Rockets took advantage of it. L.A. had a small lead for most of the first quarter but the Rockets ended the opening period on a run.
Houston was still without Kevin Durant, but remained ahead by five after one quarter and only continued to extend the lead in the second. The Lakers couldn’t take care of the ball and gave up a lot of turnovers.
When they did get a shot up, it wouldn’t fall, especially from beyond the arc.
The third quarter was as bad as it could get for the Lakers. They shot 8-for-20 from the floor and 1-for-6 from three in the period. On the flipside, the Rockets shot 50% from both the floor and from three in the same span.
After three quarters, Houston was ahead by 25. The Lakers marginally outplayed the Rockets in the final frame, but it wasn’t nearly enough to make a real comeback.
Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, but was ejected after 25 minutes following a flagrant foul he committed while battling against Sengun in the paint.
For the Rockets, Amen Thompson had 23 points, four rebounds and seven assists while Sengun put up 19 points and six rebounds. All five Houston starters finished the game with 16 points or more.
The series will now head back to L.A. for Game 5, where the Lakers will look to pull off the gentleman’s sweep.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
