The Houston Rockets will try to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their second-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday evening.
No one gave Houston a chance in this series. But that didn’t stop the Rockets from stealing Game 1 against a well-rested Lakers team. Fresh off of a 4-1 series win against the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles had six days between games to prepare for the second round. Yet, Lakers’ head coach Frank Vogel didn’t seem to have an answer to counter Houston’s small-ball attack.
Can LeBron James and the Lakers even up the series against the Rockets in Game 2 on Sunday night?
Harden scores 36 in Game 1 win over Lakers
After a hard-fought seven-game series against the OKC Thunder, the Rockets were ready for take-off in Game 1, stunning the Lakers in a 112-97 win. Houston benefitted from a bounce-back performance from all-world scorer James Harden, who tallied 36 points on an efficient 12-for-20 shooting to help the Rockets escape with a 1-0 series lead. Russell Westbrook finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, and six assists while Eric Gordon chipped in 23, as Houston shot 14-for-39 from beyond the arc (35.9 percent) in the win.
Coming off of a series in which the Rockets outscored OKC by 50 points in 210 minutes with traditional big man Steven Adams on the floor, Houston abused Lakers’ big men on both ends on Friday. The Rockets routinely forced less-than-adequate defenders (Kyle Kuzma, Markieff Morris, etc.) to switch pick-and-rolls and defend outside of their comfort zone.
Despite L.A.’s size advantage, Houston remained committed to its micro-ball approach. Head coach Mike D’Antoni shortened his rotation for the second straight game, as Daniel House Jr. and Jeff Green were the only two players to see more than 20 minutes off of the bench. The move worked, as the Rockets held their own on the glass against the Lakers.
LeBron, Lakers need to regroup following Game 1 loss
Anthony Davis had 25 points and 14 rebounds but it wasn’t enough for the Lakers, who dropped the opening game of their second-round series against the Rockets on Friday night. LeBron James added 20 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists for the Lakers, who shot 11-for-38 from 3-point range in the loss.
The Lakers opted to go big against Houston’s small-ball lineup in Game 1 and got burned. Despite holding a considerable size advantage, the Lakers ended up dead-even on the glass at 41 rebounds apiece and they got outscored in the paint 42 to 40 on the night. True centers Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee played a combined 24 minutes and finished with plus-minus ratings of -8 and +5, respectively.
Part of the problem for L.A. is its lack of 3-point shooting. No Lakers’ player made more than two 3-pointers in the loss. Alex Caruso and Rajon Rondo each went 2-for-5 from beyond the arc off of the bench while the starters combined to go 6-for-21 from deep on the night. That allowed the Rockets to clog the paint, which left LeBron complaining about the team’s spacing in the fourth quarter.
Protecting the basketball will also be important for the Lakers in Game 2. Houston managed 13 steals and forced 15 Lakers’ turnovers in Game 1. James, Davis, and Rajon Rondo combined for 11 of those 15 turnovers, as the Rockets flew around the court and disrupted passing lanes on defense.
Rondo is a key player in this series because he can defend some of the quicker perimeter players for the Rockets. However, he suffered back spasms in Game 4 against Portland and was returning from a fractured right thumb in early July. Head coach Frank Vogel received a lot of criticism for playing Rondo, who really struggled. But Rondo also has championship experience and that could matter down the line.
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