Lakers Dominate Through 3 Quarters; Survive 4th Quarter Scare to take 3-1 Lead

Final Score: LAL 110 HOU 100 - Lakers lead 3-1

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.

'Bron on a Mission; Laker Q4 Defense Clamps Rockets in Game 3

Final Score: LAL 112 HOU 102 - Lakers Lead 2-1

Welcome in to the recap of Game 4. The Lakers and Rockets went back and forth throughout the whole. But in the end, LeBron James won't be denied and the Lakers stepped their game up in the 4th. Lakers take a 2-1 series lead in these West semis behind vintage performances LeBron and Playoff Rondo.

Another tough, gritty win against these pesky Rockets. This game has been tight throughout. Houston played keepaway with the close lead and responded quickly when the Lakers rallied to take a couple of leads prior to the 4th. But the 4th quarter, a whole different story as the Lakers took control throughout.

As I mentioned, behind LeBron's 30+ point performance, Lakers kept themselves within striking distance. Anthony Davis was quiet in the first half, yet came alive in the 3rd quarter. The supporting cast was a no show until late in the 3rd quarter. It started with a pressure three from Rondo as the shot clock expired to give the Lakers an 80-77 lead. That was like a shot in the arm to get him going. Kyle Kuzma, same thing. Got a few good looks to the basket and then he was more active in the 4th to close this out.

Perhaps the small game changer was the adjustment that Frank Vogel made. He sat out Javale McGee in the 2nd half to put Markieff Morris at Center. We can see in this series, this matchup is unfavorable for McGee and Dwight Howard because of Houston's ability to space the floor. With the change, the Lakers were able to double more on James Harden and contain the perimeter. Although the only negative was the points in the paint. The Rockets took advantage of that this whole game. Even with the lineup change, they still found a way to penetrate to the basket. Other than that, the defense got better with the smaller lineup in the 2nd half.

Final stat lines: LeBron poured in 36 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. This is a stat line Miami Heat 'Bron would put up from 2010-2014. He was a man on a mission tonight on both ends of the floor and unquestionably the MVP of this game. Rajon Rondo gets runner-up with 21 points and 9 assists. "Playoff Rondo" showed up in the 4th and jumpstarted the bench production for the Lakers. AD notched 26 points and 15 rebounds. As mentioned, he stood out more in the 2nd half. Kyle Kuzma also stood out in the 2nd half with 14 points. I liked how active Kuz was on the offense, making the necessary cuts and crashing the boards.

If there's any themes of this series is that the 4th quarter will be a key factor. It's a matter of which team can be effective in crunch time. So far, the Lakers have controlled the 4th quarter in Games 2 & 3 since the ugly loss in Game 1. This Rockets team won't be easy to take down as long as they're getting to the line and shooting timely threes. But, the Lakers have made the adjustments since Game 1. They are forcing the Rockets to play at an unfavorable pace. Up 2-1, we know what happened in Portland in Game 4 in the last round. Lakers will look to replicate that and start fast to take a commanding 3-1 lead. I'll see you guys on Thursday for that game.

Lakers Fall to Rockets

Final Score: LAL 97 HOU 113 [L] (51-17)

Another day, another loss in the bubble. The Rockets' 3-point barrage was on display tonight. For the Lakers, not so much. It was difference tonight as the Lakers wrap up the back-to-back set with a 97-113 loss.

Well, I can say that the effort was a little better tonight. The Lakers used their size and pounded the Rockets' small ball lineup inside. Frank Vogel shuffled the lineup a bit. Kyle Kuzma was the beneficiary of that lineup change, leading the Lakers with 21 points. Talen Horton-Tucker got extended action, leading the bench with 10 points. I liked the fearlessness tonight from THT. Great 2nd round find from the Lakers' scout team.

Prior to this game, there's some speculation that the Lakers were playing the seeding game. Everybody said they threw the OKC game away, but they'll get back on track to beat the Rockets. No LeBron James and Anthony Davis barely playing tonight, that just made the scenario much harder. Especially when the team is shooting 2/19 from 3-point land against a team capable of shooting 3s regardless of the attempts! 

The Lakers did make it competitive when they cut the lead to 89-94 in the 4th. However, the Rockets are that type of team to let opposing teams in the game before they soul crush their momentum with dagger 3s. That's how confident that team is with their shot. I don't see that same confidence in the Lakers. 

We can try to downplay that the Lakers are on cruise control since they clinched the #1 spot. But as I said last night, teams gotta use these seeding games to "sharpen the blade" a bit. There's a major difference in resting down the stretch of a normal 82-game season vs. resting after a 4-month layoff after a league suspension. 

Admittedly, the Lakers are trying to get back to early-March form when they were playing at a high level. Shooting under 40% from the field, 30% from 3-point land, and averaging under 100 points per game in the restart? Not a good look, especially when you got the Clippers and the Bucks regaining form. Portland is also regaining form with Dame dropping a 40-piece on the Nuggets tonight. High chance that the Lakers will see them in the first round with Memphis fumbling that 8th seed away. The Lakers gotta get right. I could care less if they lost the rest of the seeding games. If they continue to play like this, it's a cause for concern. There is no magic on/off switch for the Lakers to flip. Start fine tuning your game guys and get right! The Indiana Pacers are up this Saturday. I'll see y'all later.

Lakers Close Out 2017 With Tough Double Overtime Loss to Rockets

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

Julius Randle was the Lakers' top performer, pouring in 29 points and 15 rebounds to go with 6 assists and 1 block, but the hard fought effort fell just short as the Rockets pulled away 142-148 in a double overtime victory.  Josh Hart lead all Lakers in scoring with 26 points, Kyle Kuzma added 23 points, Tyler Ennis notched a double-double with 20 points and 11 dimes, and Brandon Ingram chipped in 12 points.

Final Score: @ Houston 142-148 (2OT) [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20171231/LALHOU#/recap

Next Game: @ Minnesota (01/01)

Highlights: *Courtesy of MLG Highlights*

First and foremost, happy New Year Laker Nation as 2017 winds down and 2018 is on the clock. This game overall was good way to end 2017. The Lakers almost notched another one in Houston, but the Rockets rallied to come back and win. I was really impressed with the effort from Josh Hart this game. I've said this time after time, Hart is like the forgotten 1st round pick out of the 2017 draft class headlined by Ball and Kuzma. Of course with KCP's jail time, he fills very well. This game, he went off. Like Ball and Kuzma, Hart showed tendencies in being aggressive to the cup. That was on display in this game and I liked his hustle and activity in trying to will the Lakers to victory. He and Kuzma carried the Lakers' 3 point shooting this game. Kuzma was good to start, but as the game went on in OT, he started to fizzle out, missing a couple of contested shots, especially in the 2nd overtime. Ennis stepped up as a scorer and playmaker. This was like a prove-it game for him considering Houston made he and Brewer a trade piece when they accepted the Lakers' trade for Lou Williams and he balled out. Pretty much as noted in the stats sheet, the starting five carried the team. Randle still proved he's a double-double machine as a starter. Ingram had a solid game. He came through  with some clutch free throws to send this game to a 2nd overtime. Good effort, but the Rockets still have too many weapons on their roster. Chris Paul took over the game when Houston needed him the most, especially when they took a hit on James Harden's hamstring injury when the game went beyond regulation.

Lakers Snap Rockets' 14-game Winning Streak

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

Kyle Kuzma poured in a career high 38 points to go with 7 rebounds to power the Lakers past the red-hot Rockets 122-116 despite a 50+ point performance from James Harden. Lonzo Ball added 16 points and 9 rebounds while Brandon Ingram racked up 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists and Josh Hart chipped in 11 points, filling for KCP. Corey Brewer came back to Houston and stung the Rockets with 21 points off the bench and Larry Nance Jr. added 13 points and 9 rebounds.

Final Score: @ Houston 122-116 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20171220/LALHOU#/recap

Next Game: @ Golden State (12/22) <-- b="">*No Open Thread and Full Recap Posts*

Highlights: *Courtesy of MLG Highlights*

This was a stunning, yet big win for the Lakers on the road. Think about this, heading into this game the Rockets were undefeated with Chris Paul on the floor. The Lakers are one of the worst in the league in terms of 3-point shooting. All those fact checks were thrown out of the window by the time this game was over. What a game by Kyle Kuzma as the stats indicate. Kuz ignited the 3-point shooting game and ignited the fantastic start for the Lakers, starting the game 6 for 6 from beyond the arc. The Rockets couldn't put a hand up on time and Kuz just straight line drives his jumpshot, nothing but net. Houston's defense had no answer because Kuzma can shoot and attack the basket at will. He has the arsenal to be an all-around scorer. Big ups to Corey Brewer as well coming off the bench. The crazy part about it is that the Lakers' most consistent players off the bench, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle, did not play well. Randle in particular didn't play that much off the bench. But, Corey Brewer stepped up as did Larry Nance Jr. Brewer probably had this game marked on his calendar so he could stick it to his former team. I liked his aggressiveness on both ends of the floor. Speaking of defense, the Lakers really stood out on the defensive end. The final score doesn't indicate it, but they were running and hustling back defensively and securing rebounds to finish the good defense. Clyde Drexler, NBA legend and color commentator for the Rockets basketball network, pointed that out during the game. Harden can drop 50+ points, but it's all about containing the rest of the team, which the Lakers did and granted, the Rockets missed a whole lot of shots that they routinely make, especially from three point land.