The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 0-2 on their four-game road trip, losing to the Orlando Magic and now the Miami Heat on Monday. L.A. lost Anthony Davis to hip spasms and D’Angelo Russell ejected in the fourth quarter.
It has been an injury-riddled season for the Lakers thus far and they are still in search of picking up their first road win of the year. Next up is a matchup with the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, which features a familiar foe in Dillon Brooks.
Brooks was irritating to LeBron James and L.A. during their first-round matchup when he was on the Memphis Grizzlies last year, although the Lakers were able to get the last laugh by coming away with the series win. This is the first time both James and Brooks will face off since the playoffs and it seems that the former is excited, via Lachard Binkley of SB Nation:
“Ready to lock him up. He’s been shooting the ball well and playing well so I’m just there to make him tired, making him get into that fourth quarter early.”
The former Oregon Duck is having a strong start to the 2023-24 season after struggling last year, averaging 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals on 59.3% from the field and 56.5% from 3. Houston is 3-3 and currently on a three-game winning streak, so this will not be an easy game for the struggling Lakers.
The Rockets are a young team with a proven head coach in Ime Udoka, although they did bring in veterans like Brooks and Fred VanVleet this past offseason. Houston has stolen some wins from the Lakers the past few seasons, so expect a high-intensity game with Brooks now in the picture.
Lakers fans are not the only ones with distaste for Brooks as he’s had his fair share of instigations throughout his career and getting on the nerves of other players and fanbases. James is coming off a 30-point performance against the Heat and is now looking to continue his dominance against Brooks on Wednesday.
Davis ‘confident’ he’ll play against Rockets after suffering hip spasms
Despite everything going wrong on Monday, the Lakers were in a position to steal the game thanks to James leading the charge. Davis suffered hip spasms towards the end of halftime and attempted to play through it, but clearly was not 100%. There were instances where Davis would attempt to get back on the court but struggled to get up and down.
After the game, the big man provided a positive update on his injury and is ‘confident’ he’ll play against the Rockets although he is officially listed as questionable.
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