Lakers Drop the Hammer in Closeout Win

Final Score: HOU 96 LAL 119 - Lakers Advance 4-1

Welcome in to the recap of Game 5. The Lakers complete yet another gentleman's sweep, putting the Rockets out of orbit 96-119. The Lakers advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2010.

Now that's how you dominate from start to finish! Game 4 left a bad taste at the end with the Lakers committing mental mistakes, allowing the Rockets to creep back in. Tonight, no comeback this time. Houston did have that mini run at the start of the 2nd quarter. But, the Lakers outplayed them big time to close this series out.

I said in my preview, the 3-point shooting is going to be an X-Factor in this matchup, especially for everyone outside LeBron and AD. It took awhile throughout the series, but when it mattered the most, they fired from all cylinders. Markieff Morris, Danny Green, and KCP showed out in this category. 'Kieff has been the game-changer throughout this series and he capped it off with 16 points and shot a perfect 4-4 from three. Danny Green added 14 points, shot 4-6 from three. KCP chipped in 10 points, shot 2-3 from three. Kyle Kuzma shot 3-6 from three and finished with 17 points off the bench. 

The Lakers beat the Rockets at their own game tonight. Outside of James Harden's efficient 30-point night, the Rockets couldn't buy a bucket. Credit to the stifling Laker defense for that. They had the perimeter on lockdown and completely took Houston off their game. In the 3rd quarter, between the 9:52 mark and 4:59 mark, they couldn't buy a bucket. They got outscored 18-33 and never made another run.

With how the supporting cast stepped up, LeBron and AD didn't have to be great. LeBron still put up numbers we're accustomed to with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists. Though AD had  only 13 points, he crashed the boards with 11 rebounds tonight. We can live with AD's off-game offensively, considering how the team played at a high level tonight. But he still did everything else from rebounding to anchoring the suffocating defense that the Lakers displayed out there tonight.

For the first time since 2010, the Lakers are in the Western Conference Finals. I've ran this blog for a long time after the Lakers' win over the Celtics in Game 7 that year. Back then, it's like these deep playoff runs were a guarantee. But for 10 years, it never happened. I thought by starting off this blog, I cursed the Lakers into mediocrity. Now to see them back one series away from the NBA Finals, it feels great. 

But they're not out of the woods yet. They will await the winner of Clippers-Nuggets. Without question, the Clippers pose the biggest threat to the Lakers' championship aspirations. They're deep in every position. But last night, they had a hiccup closing out Denver. Maybe the Clipper curse is still very real. But if it comes down to it, it's gonna be an exciting battle with the two LA teams if the Clippers do their job tomorrow night. It's just too bad that it's not gonna happen at Staples Center. Anyway, we'll await the winner and I'm going to post my preview immediately after. I'll see you guys later.

King and 'Brow Respond; Rondo and 'Kieff Step Up in Game 2 Win

Final Score: HOU 109 LAL 117 - Tied 1-1

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.

Rockets Blast Lakers in Game 1

Final Score: HOU 112 LAL 97 - Rockets Lead 1-0

Alright, welcome in to the full recap of this game. The Lakers dropped another Game 1 in these playoffs. But unlike the opening round against Portland, they got dominated this game. An undersized Rockets team dominated and outplayed the much bigger Lakers squad 112-97 to take a 1-0 series lead. Shocking ain't it?

I mentioned it before, extended rest can be a double-edged sword. Prior to this, the Lakers were chilling while the Houston was in a dogfight against OKC in a 7-game series. After looking at this game, I don't think that was a factor. The Lakers jumped to a 7-0 lead before the Rockets upped the sense of urgency this game. I didn't find any signs of rust. The Rockets outplayed them the rest of the way and were the more physical team tonight. 

I said it in the preview: when the tandem of Russell Westbrook and James Harden go off, Houston is hard to beat despite their lack of size. After an atrocious Game 7, Harden was Houston's leading scorer with 36 points on an efficient 12-20 shooting. Westbrook chimed in with 24 points on 10-24 shooting. I told y'all they were going to find ways to be aggressive and draw contact to get to the free throw line. 

To make matters worse, key role players for the Rockets stepped up. Austin Rivers lead Houston's bench with 10 points. He started with 6 quick points to help balloon Houston's lead to 7 at the start of 2nd quarter.  Eric Gordon went off this game with 23 points on 7-14 shooting. The Lakers did a lazy job against him defensively. It's like they completely forgotten that Gordon is quite the scorer as well. I recalled two or three times, the Lakers didn't bother to rotate and Gordon had all day to get set and shoot the wide open three. 

As I mentioned, the Lakers didn't look rusty. But rather, they put up a disappointing effort after a 7-0 start. Turnovers and LeBron and AD combining for just 5 points in the 4th quarter were the major stories this game. They got some reinforcements with Rajon Rondo back in the rotation tonight. Evaluating, Rondo's return, he had a valley, then a peak, then a valley again. Rondo had the case of the "slip and slide" to start. He fell twice or three times when he was handling the ball. It was a tough stretch for him, lucky he got up unscathed. He showed signs with a 3-pointer and a layup off glass. And then, the turnovers mounted up.

Turnovers were close with the Rockets committing 13 turnovers compared to the Lakers' 15. But, the Lakers committed turnovers in the most critical times, especially when they were trailing by two or one. During those sequences, as a Laker fan, all you can do was shake your head. I had my head down the whole time when the Lakers committed these silly turnovers when they needed a bucket to tie or take the lead and get some of the momentum back. This is especially the conundrum when you have Rondo return and pair him with LeBron in the lineup. Rondo had a mixed performance. He pushed the pace well, but played "hot potato" with the basketball in his return. The Rockets made them pay in that category and bombarded them with threes to extend their lead. By the way, Lakers shot 24% from three and the Rockets shot 36% from deep. I did mention the three-point shooting was going to be an X-factor for this series.

Onto the superstar duo, LeBron James provided some highlights with a poster dunk on Westbrook and a chase down block on Westbrook again, but he didn't do a lot more. Anthony Davis as well. AD had 25 points and 14 rebounds while LeBron had 20 points and 7 assists, but these were disappointing stat lines if you looked back at this game. They got punked by Houston's defense tonight. To make matters worse, they didn't score in the 4th quarter until the 4 minute mark. By that time, it was too late and Frank Vogel effectively waved the white flag two minutes later by taking both of them out of the game.

The only positive I could probably take out of this game is that Alex Caruso showed out, leading the bench with 14 points. If there's positive with Rondo returning, Caruso can play off ball more. But other than that, the Lakers dropped the ball on this game. You can't blame rust or the extended rest, they got outplayed on both ends. 

Here's the concerning part: the Lakers are now 0-3 against Houston since the small ball lineup was unveiled back in February. It should be clear that size and length are not just the only thing that's going to take down this team. The Lakers need to do a better job at being the more physical team. And most importantly, they gotta take care of the basketball, especially since Houston likes to run and gun. That's the Mike D'Antoni / 7 seconds or less principle. The silver lining is that when the Lakers dropped the first game against Portland, they came back and won the next four. Will history repeat itself this series? Certainly, but they need to do a better job. I'll see you guys after Game 2 on Sunday.

Lakers Playoff Preview: Semis vs. Houston Rockets

Welcome in to another playoff preview. Finally, the stage is set for the Lakers to take on the Houston Rockets in the Western semifinals. What a thrilling end to the first round in the West! Tuesday, Nuggets and Jazz ended in a wild finish with the Nuggets prevailing and overcoming a 3-1 deficit. Rockets and Thunder had a lot of storylines surrounding James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Chris Paul, which made an intriguing 1st round matchup. At the end of the day, the Rockets pulled it out coming up clutch on defense tonight. Not quite what you'd expect out of a Mike D'Antoni-coached team.

The Rockets are a team that has taken small ball to an extreme level. They have no true center on their roster. If you want to count Tyson Chandler, go ahead. At this point, he's just coaching them from the sidelines. And their game plan is pretty simple: live and die by the 3 and hope you can outscore your opponent. This team before the trade deadline retooled to have the roster consist of Westbrook, Harden, and a bunch of sharpshooting "3 and D" players. 

Despite being undersized, the Rockets are a tough, scrappy team. Harden made some clutch defensive plays in these playoffs. Robert Covington is a solid 2-way role player. P.J. Tucker is a dog out there. Westbrook can play D when healthy. This roster has some dogs. If I heard right, their defense has been top-tier throughout their series against OKC. The seventh game saw them in a close win, but their first three wins, they dominated the Thunder on both ends of the floor. But, credit to the Thunder, a team with .2% chance of making the playoffs, they hung in there and almost pulled off the win. If they won, all hell would've broken loose in Houston.

Now, we look at how the Lakers match up. In the series against Portland, the Lakers only had Jusuf Nurkic and Hassan Whiteside to worry about in the paint. But, they still imposed their will with the two-man powerhouse of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. By Game 3, LeBron was in attack mode and the series was history. Well, it was history when they went full Black Mamba mode in Game 4. The Lakers present a big mismatch for the Rockets. They're not facing a clumsy Steven Adams or an undersized CP3. They're facing a freight train disguised as a point guard and a titan with skills. We expect the Lakers to impose their will and use their size to feast inside the paint. Defensively, Houston may be small, but they're not going to back down. Simply put, they have to be the more physical team and it starts with the two man game of LeBron and AD being aggressive on both ends of the floor. 

There are two problems that the Lakers are going to encounter defensively. Obviously Westbrook and Harden are a problem. But, they also need to clamp down on the perimeter. Westbrook and Harden are dangerous when they shoot their patented midrange and stepback three efficiently. Not to mention, one can pick up the slack when the other is underperforming. Take the OKC series as evidence. Dame and McCollum were a handful for Caruso, KCP, Danny Green, and Kuz. What more with this backcourt of two ex-MVPs? They will obviously try to get whistles in their favor. Whoever is guarding them, they must remain disciplined and stay in front of them at all times. If the Lakers apply help defense, they should anticipate early that they will kick it to the open man from the perimeter. As I mentioned, Houston's role players are sharpshooters. They can chuck up as many threes as they want because they are confident in those shots. Not to mention, when you have Harden and Westbrook breaking down the defense, they will sit comfortably from the 3-point line because they know they have a higher percentage shot. 

For an X-factor, I hope the Lakers worked on their threes all week long. The last time these two teams met, the 3-point differential favored the Rockets by a huge margin. In the first round, we saw encouraging signs that the Lakers are slowly getting that 3-point shooting going. If the Lakers continue to strive and shoot efficiently from deep while dominating the paint, Houston will have no answer and this series will be over in a blur. 

Lakers will be well-rested for this series. They haven't looked well in the bubble overall. But, based on that first round series against Portland, it looks like they've shaken off some rust and got back into midseason form prior to the league suspension. This is a salivating matchup for the Lakers. As long as they do all the aformentioned things and not turn the ball over more than Houston, they could very well take this in a four-game sweep. Maybe they'll allow one generous win. But from what I saw from the Lakers against Portland and how Houston struggled to put OKC away down the stretch of their 1st round series, this presents a very advantageous matchup in favor of the LakeShow. I'll see you guys back here on Friday after the game. 

Lakers Drop to 0-2 in Rumble with Rockets

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' home opener vs. the Houston Rockets where the Rockets made some key buckets down the stretch to help spoil LeBron's home debut 124-115.

Ugh, as I said, this is going to be one of most frustrating early season losses. It's been said before that good teams find ways to win and the Rockets did just that. They made timely buckets down the stretch. James Harden took the game over since Chris Paul's ejection and momentum just escalated in favor of the Rockets. Their loss against New Orleans on Wednesday definitely helped them wake up for this one.

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JaVale McGee, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, 7-11 shooting. Didn't I say something along the lines that McGee is going to have a career year in LA? He continues to do so. I was surprised he hit a couple of a jump shots tonight. Even hitting a fadeaway off a broken possession. Of course, he had a field day on defense with the blocks. McGee literally almost swatted everything that came his way. It was a block party with McGee in the paint.

Lonzo Ball, 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 5-10 shooting. This was a sight for sore eyes for Ball to rain down some threes. He did fire a pair of air balls, which puts a damper on his game. Defense wasn't on point as well. Then again, Chris Paul and James Harden are offensive maestros in the back court. But, Zo looks like he's regaining his bounce. I liked his hustle and activity tonight. Especially with Rondo facing suspension, Zo is going to have a lot more run.

(-)

Rajon Rondo and Brandon Ingram suspensions. Now, this has got to be the biggest storyline heading forward into the season  Let me break this down play-by-play. Like about late in the 4th quarter, James Harden drew a foul on Ingram as he got on the fastbreak. Ingram got frustrated and shoved Harden from behind. Both of them had to be separated. Ingram proceeded to take his frustrations on the officials. Then another incident occurred between Rondo and CP3. Both exchanged punches with CP3 claiming that Rondo spit on him. But, Ingram got himself into the brawl and landed a near haymaker on CP3. As a result, all three were ejected and possibly facing lengthy suspensions. Rondo and CP3 are seasoned veterans, so this likely hurts them less. But, CP3's absence could hinder the Rockets. The suspension definitely hurts Ingram. Yes, the Rockets have a tendency to draw fouls and it gets into every team's heads. I personally dislike the Rockets' antics. I especially can't stand CP3 as well. But, B.I. let the antics get into his head. It was very uncharacteristic given B.I's calm and collected demeanor to unleash such a side we've never seen from him before. It hurts thinking about the fact that he might serve as lengthy suspension because it's going to be detrimental to his growth. This season was projected as Ingram's coming-of-age as a superstar. And the fact that a long suspension looms over B.I. deteriorates that anticipated season. It's all in the hands in the NBA on what disciplinary action they could take.

Defensive breakdowns. On the game side, this was one of the reasons the Lakers lost this game. There was a lot of miscommunication on the defensive end. It's especially bad when you give Harden all the time in the world to shoot the ball because the Lakers left him open on certain sequences of this game. It was especially apparent down the stretch. P.J. Tucker is not a great three point shooter, but they have to close out regardless. And he hit a dagger three to give the Rockets some breathing room.

Free throw shooting. The Lakers need a high-percentage free throw shooter. It's saying something when the roster contains under 80% free throw shooters. KCP missed a technical free throw. Josh Hart failed to convert on the Flagrant 1 free throws. LeBron missed some free throws. Lance Stephenson split free throws at the worst possible time. There were many instances that the Lakers can creep back in had they made some key free throws, but it hasn't happened.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 5 points, 2-8 shooting. I'll give KCP a few more games before we start putting the pitchforks on Luke Walton to start Josh Hart and give Svi Mykhailiuk a shot in the rotation. But right now, terrible start for KCP.

MVP

JaVale McGee, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, 7-11 shooting

JaVale McGee is in for a career year. Mark my words. He was pure energy tonight from both the offensive and defensive ends of the ball. Rockets had to drive on McGee at their own risk of getting their shot swatted back into the stands.


Conclusion

Oh , I'm missing how LeBron James did. Well, he didn't have a good shooting night. He still stuff the stat sheet as expected with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Just want to throw that out there. But, overall, we have to see what the repercussions are regarding B.I.'s status. Already a bad start and it could get even worse. But, this team has to refine the brotherhood, hang together, and face adversity in a tough Western Conference. I'll leave it at there. I'll see you guys Monday for the game against San Antonio.

10/20 - LAKERS vs. Rockets 2nd Half Open Thread

2nd half open thread of the Lakers-Rockets in L.A. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

HOU 124 LAL 115

Key threes helped seal this for the Rockets down the stretch. It's early in the season, but this is one of those frustrating losses. With that, we'll see what kind of repercussions will happen regarding that brawl down the stretch that involved a shove from behind by Ingram, then punches thrown by CP3 and Rondo happened and Ingram came from behind with a blindside punch to CP3. We don't know what will happen from there. This may be costly to what is a promising season if Ingram were to miss an extended period of time after this incident. More to come in the full recap.

Q3

HOU 98 LAL 97

That was such a push off from CP3. That put a damper from the Lakers closing this quarter out the right way. The fight in this Laker team is undeniable. It showed last season. Houston built a 10 point lead this quarter and it looked like they were gonna run away with it. But, the Lakers found ways to hung around with good defense and some timely shots. First Zo stays hot from deep with his 3rd three-pointer to give the Lakers the lead. Then Josh Hart hit a three for the Lakers to reclaim the lead. They lead briefly, the Chris Paul went to take over the game for the Rockets. This is possibly coming down to the last offensive possession and the last defensive stop the way this game is going.

10/20: Home Opener - LAKERS vs. Houston Rockets 1st half Open Thread

Welcome to the first half open thread of the Lakers' anticipated home opener vs. the Houston Rockets. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

HOU 66 LAL 62

Like I said, Houston can use the littlest of contacts to their advantage to launch their trip to the free throw line. But luckily, the Lakers are hanging around out there. Early 2nd quarter, the 2017 draft class helped spark a run. Lonzo Ball airballed badly on his first 3-point attempt. Then he came back this quarter to knock down back-to-back threes. The key for him is not to get those and scrutiny about his jump shot in his head and this quarter was a good confidence builder. Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma helped out as well. Hart is just a dog out there with his scrappy effort. And Kuz surprisingly is showing some potential on the defensive end. He and McGee account for the team in blocks with six combined blocks. It's a result of very good timing to provide the help defense. That was very impressive. The biggest dud so far has been Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He's struggling out the gate with five points on Thursday and his shot tonight have hit nothing but iron. The entire rotation has provided some contributions. I think if he can show up in the 2nd half, that can provide the Lakers a big time spark. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

HOU 31 LAL 28

We can live with the Lakers trailing by three. This was a very good pace to start by both teams. Both the Rockets and Lakers put out their small ball lineups in the middle of the first quarter. Lakers definitely had the edge with some good defensive plays to set them up in transition. But, the last minutes of the quarter, pretty silly fouls committed by them. The Rockets have a very good tendency to draw them whether contact or no contact. Those last few trips to the free throw line gave them the edge after one.

Lakers Lose to Rockets, but Andre Ingram Wins Hearts of Many

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Houston Rockets in the second-to-last matchup of the NBA season where the Lakers still fall short even when the Rockets pulled their starters out early, losing 105-99.

Wow, did that game end in a hurry. You'd figure with the Rockets clinching the #1 spot, they would sit out their starters to make sure they get healthy for the playoffs. But, they still played for three and a half quarters until Mike D'Antoni pulled them out. The Lakers almost cashed in on an insane scoring run to finish the game and possibly steal one. They just fizzled out as they rode the momentum plus Houston recommitted on the defensive end to seal this game.

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Andre Ingram, 19 points, 6-8 shooting, 3 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 assist, 1 steal. This is the man of the hour right here. When I looked at the news that the Lakers signed him for the final two games, I was surprised he was 32 and bounced around the G-League. Many shed blood and tears on the basketball court to make it to the NBA and not all of them are guaranteed superstar status, let alone a roster spot on the main roster. But, as the old saying goes: good things come to those who wait and kudos to Magic and Rob Pelinka to give this guy his long-awaited shot in the big leagues. And he made the most out of it, going a perfect 4-4 to start. He also hit a clutch three, could've hit another one to cut the deficit to one point in the fourth quarter. They said he was one of the best shooters in the G-League and for a small sample size, that was pretty impressive to live up to that in an NBA game.

Josh Hart, 20 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals. Josh Hart got off to a really slow start, but finished strong to end the game. When the Rockets pulled their starters out, Hart was the catalyst on both ends of the floor to give the Lakers one final push before ultimately losing the game.

(-)

Short-handed. Nothing the Lakers can do when Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball are shut down for the season. They've been fighting it, but they are just overmatched against deeper teams at the end of the day.

Turnovers. The turnovers were ugly for both teams. The Rockets committed 18 turnovers compared to the Lakers' 17 turnovers. Houston was handing those turnovers like they were free candy out there. Just unfortunate that the Lakers, being turnover prone, could not take advantage of that and gave some of that back with those 17 TOs.

No help defense for Ivica Zubac. I believe Zubac's time with the Lakers is done considering he can't be more physical as an inside presence. But, they did him dirty not giving any help defense to him when Chris Paul and James Harden were running circles around him. That's a big mismatch right there and Zubac's lack of lateral agility could not keep up.

MVP

Andre Ingram, 19 points, 3 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 assist, 1 steal

There's not much more to be said. Andre Ingram finally lives his NBA dream and puts on a show he and his family and friends will never forget. No question, his game tonight is gonna be an inspiration to many to never give up on their dreams.

Conclusion

What I saw from Andre Ingram's story tonight is one of the many reasons I love sports. In a meaningless game, he was the highlight of the night putting on a show in his very first NBA game. He'll remember that for a long time. The Lakers did a good deed tonight, win or lose. That's a good way to end this segment right there as there's not much more to talk about. I'll see you guys tomorrow for the season finale against the Clippers.

04/10: LAKERS vs. Houston Rockets 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

This is the 2nd half of the Rockets-Lakers matchup in the second-to-last game of the 2017-18 NBA season. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

HOU 105 LAL 99

The only time where a win or a loss doesn't matter. Andre Ingram going off for 19 points is a reminder that dreams do come true. The Lakers did have a chance when the Rockets pulled their starters out. But, Houston recommitted on the defensive end to seal up this win. The Lakers may not have gotten the win in Andre Ingram's debut, but he won the hearts of many tonight. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

HOU 82 LAL 75

Andre Ingram does not miss. That was fun while it lasted when he hit the three to give the Lakers a brief one point lead. The Lakers are hanging around even though the Rockets gave themselves some cushion to finish off the quarter. Chris Paul and James Harden may be putting up a Point Guard clinic out there, but they're missing some open shots, which could've blown this lead wide open.

04/10: LAKERS vs. Houston Rockets 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome in to the first half of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Houston Rockets in the penultimate game of the season. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

HOU 56 LAL 48

Well, well, the Lakers find themselves down only by eight, which is a good way to end the half. Houston in that first half, it's like they're on autopilot right now. They light it up offensively and then slow it down a bit. Like I said, it's like they're not trying, which they don't need to do since they locked up home court throughout the West playoffs. The biggest story during this quarter, Andre Ingram, 32-years old, can ball. A couple of three pointers and starting off 11 points, that is a feel good story there. It's never too late to fulfill a dream and Andre Ingram is living it right now, playing in the NBA. Not much to say about adjustments, so on to the 2nd half. 

Q1

HOU 23 LAL 16

It's like the Rockets are not even trying since they have the #1 seed on lock. Slow start for both teams. A very bland first quarter to start the game. Luckily, the Rockets haven't put the clamps on yet. The Lakers just have to hang around as much as possible to compete.

Rockets Blast Lakers

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

Kyle Kuzma notched a double-double off the bench with 22 points and 12 rebounds, but the Lakers couldn't contain the red hot Rockets, losing 118-95. Four starters were in double figures. Brandon Ingram lead the way with 18 points to go with 9 rebounds. KCP added 16 points, Larry Nance Jr. racked up 15 points to go with 8 rebounds, and Brook Lopez chipped in 10 points.

Final Score: vs. Houston 118-95 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20171203/HOULAL#/recap

Next Game: @ Philadelphia (12/07) <= *I'm likely not gonna do open thread and full recap posts. I'll be going to a family-related occasion.*

Highlights: *courtesy of MLG Highlights*

Well, when you suffer three tough games out of four losses, you'll be unlucky to run into a red hot team. To make matters worse, it's on back-to-back nights. The Lakers were beaten soundly by the Rockets. Houston dominated in both the paint and in the 3-point game. James Harden and Chris Paul dominated in iso plays and there was nothing the Laker defense couldn't do, especially when a player is caught one-on-one against the Rockets' back court duo. Of course, we cannot talk about a Laker loss without the turnovers. Chalk it up as an automatic L if the Lakers commit 20+ turnovers. Once again, Kyle Kuzma was one of the positives. Neither missing one game or the nagging back spasms has slowed him down. Ingram had a nice game and was aggressive in attacking the basket and crashing the boards. Clarkson and Randle being held to single digits off the bench was a rare anomaly. Clarkson had a bad shooting night based on the stats sheet. He only hit one three pointer in the 2nd quarter, and the rest of the game, you couldn't find his highlights. Randle didn't take too many shots. Absolute crickets for Lonzo Ball this game. 2 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists. It's more growing pains for Zo, but we have to see some aggressiveness. There are some games where he's just going through the motions. This game was one of them. Maybe it's because his shot is not falling. He's a rookie and we have to abide by the don't judge a player by Year 3 rule. But, he should not have the fact that his shot is not falling get in his head. If there's anything that's a current strength in Zo's game, it's being aggressive to the basket. We have to see more of that Zo and less of the lifeless Zo when his shot is not falling.

Lakers Rally to Beat Rockets in Shootout On Opening Night

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' first game of the season vs. the Houston Rockets where the young Lakers take over the 4th quarter behind Jordan Clarkson' 25 point explosion to beat the Rockets 114-120, reeling in the first win in the post-Kobe Bryant era.

We're going all the way baby! Okay, I'll pump the brakes on that. But, what a game. Not a great game if you're a defensive-minded guy, but like I said both these teams want to run the floor. And this game was exactly just that. The Lakers, as much as they've been down the whole game, they kept that win-mentality throughout the game. It goes to show that the young players took a page out of Kobe. But, that took a lot of will to rally in a shootout like that and even if there's 81 games left now, this win is a huge confidence booster as this team develops over the season.

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Jordan Clarkson, 25 points, 8-12 shooting. Whether he's starting or off the bench, we all know JC's a beast. He got off to a cold start this game, only managing 3 points on 1 field goal, but did he turn on the jets in the 2nd half. 22 points to account for the Lakers' 57 total points in that half. This guy continues to put the work in and I'm glad the Lakers brought him back.

D'Angelo Russell, 20 points, 7-16 shooting. The ice in the veins were there in the first quarter. Offensively, the Lakers could not get anything going to start the game. However, D'Lo asserted the fact that the Lakers are now his team and took over, making a couple of three pointers and drawing a 4-point play. He got cold in the 2nd half, but still made a couple of shots and key defensive plays. He had that one turnover late in the 4th that could've blow up the Lakers' victory plans, but he'll learn from in. Like I said, there'll be growing pains with D'Lo since he has control of the offense.

Timofey Mozgov, 12 points, 8 rebounds. For those criticizing the Mozgov addition, apologize right now!  Mozgov had quite a first half himself. He was shooting a near perfect percentage, before missing his last 4 shots. In addition with rebounds, Mozgov had a pretty solid outing and he's proving his worth on that $64 million deal.

Julius Randle, 18 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 9-11 shooting. We've been clamoring for Randle to go strong to the rim and pass to the open man when trapped. I don't think he committed a single turnover this game. I have to re-check the stats sheet on that. Going back to Randle, this man shows he can be a double-double machine and he stepped up his game as a facilitator tonight. This game is a step in the right direction in developing Randle into an all-around player.

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Defense. Big time negative, but it can be cleaned up. Like I said, in the halftime post, if felt like the players were just jogging back and allowing the Rockets a lot of easy shots. We all know, James Harden will have his way, but most of the Laker players were either sleeping  or clamped down defensively this game. But, it was expected when facing a high-scoring team like the Rockets. The Lakers have emphasized on the defensive end all off-season and they have to make the necessary adjustments to communicate better and display more energy on that side of the floor.

Nick Young, 8 points, 3-12 shooting. I was impressed with Nick Young's valiant efforts on defense. I'll give him that. Offensively though, he stunk up the joint. I think this is some foreshadowing that Young is going to be a little inconsistent with his shot. Sometimes, he will live up to the Swaggy P nickname and sometimes he won't. Young had a poor shooting night and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a lot of these cold shooting nights.

MVP

Jordan Clarkson, 25 points, 8-12 shooting

Clarkson came off the bench and provided a much-needed spark to out-shoot the Rockets when it mattered the most. He's continuing to go out there and improve from his previous two years and we're glad he's back with the team.

Conclusion

Now we look at the big picture, there are now 81 games left. The Lakers get that 1st win and now it's just a matter of building up from that win. They're young and there'll be times where they won't perform up to standards. But, like I said before, the team took a big step tonight getting this victory. They needed this win to cast out the shadow of Kobe Bryant and make a name for themselves. There are a lot of things to clean up and it's important for this team to take it one game at a time. Continue to develop, build the confidence, and build that chemistry. But, as always, a win is a plus, going 1-0 is a bigger plus. The Lakers won't be home until November 4 when they take on the Warriors. They open up a 4-game road trip after this game and they open up against Utah on Friday. Just to remind everyone I won't be providing open threads and full recaps for all 82 games of the Lakers, I will only do that when the game is nationally televised. But, I will continue to provide quick recaps on who's the top performer, who's in double figures, who recorded double/triple-doubles, etc. Stay tuned for those. Other than that, I'll see you guys in November for the much-anticipated Warriors matchup.

10/25: Opening Night - LAKERS vs. Houston Rockets 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

The 2nd half of the Lakers-Rockets opening night matchup. As usual, leave a comment below the post to share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

HOU 114 LAL 120

How about we open up the post-Kobe era with a W? The young guns have made major strides tonight! What a rally in an offensive shootout. The Lakers trailed the majority of the game, but Jordan Clarkson got hot at the right time and was a key cog in that run. Defense was not great, but they did just enough to disrupt the Rockets' push to get the lead back. But, I'm happy for this team. I'm happy for Luke Walton. A great way to usher in the new Laker era. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

HOU 96 LAL 90

I would say, there's some improvement defensively in the 3rd quarter, but there's still a lot of work to do. That was great on Luke's part to put MWP in to provide a spark defensively, but Harden is still killing it out there. As I said in the 1st half post, Nick Young and Jordan Clarkson have to step up. One of them is and Clarkson is answering the bell. Nick Young hit a three early, but he's still struggling. Luckily, the Lakers are down 6 points. They have to do more on both sides of the floor to rally and close this game out.

10/25: Opening Night - LAKERS vs. Houston Rockets 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome in to the inaugural open thread and discussion of the NBA season for the Los Angeles Lakers on the blog as the Lakers take on the Houston Rockets on opening night. This will be separated into two posts with the respective posts the first half and second half. Leave some comments below this posts to share your thoughts on the game as it progresses. 

Q2

HOU 71 LAL 63

134 combined points from these teams. Well as expected from teams that like to run the floor. But, there is no question the Lakers have to do a much better job defensively. I'm going to quote Stephen A. Smith from what I just saw in the first half defensively: it was "HARRIBLE (horrible)!" The Lakers look like they're just jogging back on D. There's absolutely no energy on the defensive side of the ball. That's the only thing I could point out about this first half. Let's look at some positives then. We all need to write letters of apology to Timofey Mozgov. He's showing that he's worth the $64 million contract. 12 points, 6-8 shooting, 5 rebounds, the big man should continue to keep it up. D'Angelo Russell is starting to assert himself as the new face for the Lakers. He was on fire in the 1st quarter, hitting a couple of threes and nailing a 4-point play. So far, 12 points in the game for Russell. Randle looked good with 12 points and Ingram looked good in his first regular season action with 7 points off the bench. Some other negatives to point besides defense: Nick Young has to step up his game and so does Clarkson. Young especially is struggling with his shot and jacked up a couple of threes. Overall, the Lakers are good offensively, could be a lot better, but Luke Walton has to address something about that defense in the first half. Hopefully, there's some adjustments in the 2nd half. The 2nd half post will open up shortly.

Q1

HOU 38 LAL 38

Nice finish for the quarter with a three by Sweet Lou! My only gripe about this quarter is where is the energy on defense?  The Lakers got off to a slow start, but offensively they picked it up and D'Angelo Russell had one heck of a first quarter. I liked that. But, there's no defense being played by this team. They are giving up way to many shots for the Rockets and James Harden already has a double-double from what I heard. Offense is there, but the Lakers have to pick it up on where they've emphasize the most on this offseason, on defense!