Welcome in to the full recap of Game 2. The Lakers responded after the Game 1 debacle powered by their superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The King and the 'Brow showed up and combined for 62 total points to top the Rockets 109-117 and even up this series at one game a piece.
If anything, the Lakers are going to need more of these to contain this well-oiled 3-point machine. Let's get the negative out of the way, the 3rd quarter was a total breakdown from the Lakers. They abandoned most of the things that were working for the most part of the game. But credit to the Rockets for making the necessary adjustments. They started trapping more on defense to force some turnovers. What worked for the Lakers was that they were deploying a zone defense to slow down the Rockets and force the ball out Westbrook or Harden's hands. The 3rd quarter, they abandoned that and were lazy on rotation. That lead to a lot of open looks from Eric Gordon, Robert Covington, and PJ Tucker, three prominent Rockets role players. And they helped Houston mount a comeback and have the lead at one point. Missed free throws also played a factor to allow the Rockets to hang around a bit.
Now, let's move to the positives. I said it before and I'll say it again, LeBron and AD have to impose their will on this undersized Rockets team. Last game, they only scored a combined 5 points in the 4th quarter. Tonight, they were much better down the stretch. AD lead all scorers with 34 points to go with 10 boards. LeBron racked up a near triple-double with with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists to go with 4 steals.
Not to worry, the superstars got help tonight. Markieff Morris stepped up in a big way with 16 points. He started 4-4 from threes to extend the Laker lead to as many as 16. Rajon Rondo had a much better game tonight with 10 points, 6 assists, and 5 steals. Rondo set the tone for the Lakers defensively and most of all, he took better care of the basketball with just 1 turnover.
Some other standouts, Kyle Kuzma chipped in 13 points with 6-7 shooting. The defensive numbers don't tell the whole story. But, I thought Kuz was solid defensively tonight. Danny Green added three 3-pointers with 9 points.
Overall, minus the 3rd quarter, the Lakers' activity on both ends were on display tonight. They got the Rockets in foul trouble. They gave Russell Westbrook a tough time, which was a huge help to get this W. But, they gotta do something about Houston's role players. When they step up, they can wreck a game plan and shift momentum in a hurry. This series will be a grind as long as Houston's players are locked in, especially when Westbrook and James Harden have inefficient games.
Tonight, I liked the adjustments made by Frank Vogel and the coaching staff. They gave Markieff Morris extended minutes to stretch the floor and have AD play extended minutes at Center. We saw Javale McGee and Dwight Howard were ineffective last game in the lineup. So, they gotta match up, but retain their advantage in size and ability to crash the glass and dominate the paint. Whether or not they can maintain this consistency for the next three games remains in question. This series is just heating up. I'll see you guys on Tuesday for the next game.
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