The road trip has done wonders for the Los Angeles Lakers as they’ve really found their groove on both ends of the floor. The Lakers played a complete game against the Houston Rockets and blew them out 134-109 in the process.
The Lakers remain perfect during their five-game road swing and that has helped them climb to the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference. It was a good win for Los Angeles and a reminder that their last defeat to Houston wouldn’t have happened if they had both their stars available.
Case in point, Anthony Davis destroyed the Rockets defense all throughout the evening. Davis didn’t settle for jump shots, instead forcing his way to the painted area and rim where he simply used his physicality and length to finish over defenders who had no business guarding him.
The star big man has been on an absolute tear in recent weeks, and that didn’t stop in Houston as he led all scorers with 40 points on a wildly efficient 15-of-20 shooting. It’s not a coincidence that the Lakers’ best stretch of basketball has coincided with Davis’ offensive resurgence.
LeBron James was no slouch in his own right because like Davis, Houston was unable to truly match up with him. While James ceded some of the scoring duties to Davis, he was a handful for the Rockets to defend anytime he found open space on the floor.
The King did just about everything for Los Angeles and as a result, he recorded a triple-double of 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in under 30 minutes of action. It was another strong performance from James, who looks nearly 100 percent physically.
While the two stars led the way, Rui Hachimura was arguably the most impressive player for the Lakers. Since a questionable DNP a week ago, Hachimura capped off his recent play with his best game in the purple and gold.
The theme of the day was brute force and strength, and Hachimura has shown he can use his size and skills to overwhelm smaller players. Against the Rockets, the Japan native ran the floor hard on fastbreak opportunities while getting to his preferred midrange spots in the halfcourt.
More impressively, though, was his defense as he tied his career high with three blocked shots. Hachimura finished the day with a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds.
What’s next for Lakers
Los Angeles wraps up its road trip with a back-to-back set against the Utah Jazz and L.A. Clippers. They then return home to play the Phoenix Suns.
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Los Angeles Lakers(96) - Minnesota Timberwolves(103)
