Just wanted to give a quick recap on this game so I can jump into the Texans-Chiefs that's ongoing right now. The headline says it all. The Lakers had control for 3 quarters of the game. Into the 4th quarter, they almost let the Rockets steal one, but Alex Caruso and a last second highlight play from Rondo and LeBron saved the game for the Lakers to take a commanding 3-1 lead.
This game felt like a loss more than a win. We now know that complacency can doom the Lakers if they don't play at a high level for 48 minutes. 3rd quarter presented some early warning signs. Lakers still controlled the game at that point, but the Rockets hung around with some threes and free throws.
In the 4th, Lakers still controlled the game. They had a 100-78 lead at the 7:22 mark of the 4th quarter. After a timeout, that's when things started getting out of hand. The defense constantly broke down to force the Lakers to foul. Rockets got most of their points from the free throw line tonight. Other defensive lapses, the Lakers got lazy containing the perimeter. And the most irksome negative, untimely turnovers, two of them were unforced. The Rockets cut the lead to as close as 8 points.
Mental errors and complacency got the Rockets back into this game despite what was a dominating game for the Lakers. Though those marred a complete performance, I was impressed with the all-around team game. AD tops all Lakers in scoring with 29 points. LeBron chipped in 16 points. However, it was the role players that stepped up and were active on both ends of the floor. Danny Green and KCP drilled a pair threes and both finished with 10 points. Rondo had a near triple-double off the bench with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. Alex Caruso was the hero late in the game, saving the Lakers from total self-destruction. He had 16 points off the bench. His last three points and key defensive steal in the final minute put the game on ice. Other side notes, Talen Horton-Tucker saw action in the 2nd quarter and finished with 5 points and 2 steals. The rookie was solid in his playoff debut and it was a great "curve ball" thrown by Frank Vogel in the rotation since they elected to play small.
With that, at least that game gave me something to talk about. If the Lakers continued to dominate, this recap would've been shorter. But, I hope the Lakers learned from that 4th quarter to keep the pressure for the entire 48 minutes. As long as this Rockets team find ways to get hot and score quickly, these games are far from over. They might've found a silver lining that'll help them extend this series. The Lakers can make it right in a closeout situation in Game 5. Great game, but that 4th quarter was very uncharacteristic for the purple and gold. I'll see you guys later.
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