Dominant from start to finish, the Houston Rockets came to Los Angeles and hammered the Lakers: 119-96!

The Lakers’ problems are far from resolved after a third consecutive defeat, this time against the Rockets, who claimed a comfortable victory (119-96) at Crypto.com Arena. Worse still, the Lakers lost Austin Reaves, and likely for some time.

From the opening tip, the Rockets imposed their physical game, pounding the paint and creating numerous second-chance opportunities. The Lakers were overwhelmed defensively and Houston quickly built a 12-point lead (22-10) with a superb Amen Thompson. A good spell led by Luka Doncic and Reaves allowed LA to close within five, but Houston responded immediately with a 7-0 run to restore a 14-point cushion, leading by 12 (37-25) after the first quarter.

Aware that his defence remained problematic, JJ Redick tried an adjustment with a lineup including Marcus Smart and Jarred Vanderbilt. The gap narrowed to eight, but the Lakers could not do better, guilty of too many missed opportunities. Kevin Durant’s return to the court gave Houston breathing room, but two three-pointers from Luka Doncic and Jarred Vanderbilt brought LA back within four (50-46). As has often been the case this season, the end of the quarter was botched: a 6-0 Rockets run sent Houston into the locker room with a 10-point lead (63-53).

Austin Reaves back in the treatment room

© Iconsport / SUSA

At the restart, it was announced that Austin Reaves was officially ruled out due to his calf. Marcus Smart took his place in the starting five. Houston came out firing with three-pointers from Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. to extend their lead to 17 points (73-56). Despite two successful challenges from JJ Redick, the Lakers continued to make mistakes, and the deficit grew to 21 points. Paradoxically, Los Angeles were shooting above 50%, but were being crushed in the possession battle: 12 turnovers and 11 offensive rebounds conceded, giving the Rockets 13 extra shots.

A small fightback brought the Lakers within 16, quickly snuffed out by a Reed Sheppard and-one. LeBron James attacked the rim relentlessly, but the absence of defensive stops prevented any comeback. After a LeBron dunk, Durant drained a three-pointer then found Thompson for an alley-oop: the lead climbed back above 20 points. A final 7-0 Lakers run offered a glimmer of hope, quickly extinguished by a 7-0 Houston response, capped by a Tari Eason fast-break layup. At 111-89 with three minutes remaining, Redick emptied his bench and the Rockets completed a 23-point victory in Los Angeles.

Lakers vs. Rockets: Key takeaways

Reaves suffers setback. Calf injuries have been the curse of the NBA season, and Reaves has once again felt discomfort in his left calf, with the franchise announcing he will undergo an MRI. Before his exit, he had scored 12 points.

A “historic” duel. LeBron James and Kevin Durant have combined for over 73,600 points between them, and never before had an NBA game featured two such prolific scorers in history. Even though Houston controlled the entire contest, this duel lived up to its billing.

Rebounds. The Rockets grabbed nearly twice as many rebounds as the Lakers! With 48 boards to 25, Alperen Sengun and his teammates dominated under the basket. A 23-rebound difference that led to a victory by… 23 points.

This article was originally published on Basket USA.