The Los Angeles Lakers return home on Saturday night to take on the Houston Rockets for the third time in less than a month.
L.A. went out on a four-game road trip and came out with a 2-2 record with the finale against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday ending up being a 133-110 blowout loss. It was a game where the Lakers would take an early 14-point lead but ultimately could not sustain it as things got out of hand quickly.
The purple and gold had to roll with an eight-man rotation due to multiple injuries to rotational players, so 2-2 is not the end of the world. But, reinforcements are on the way on Saturday as the team is nearly full strength with the only injured player being Gabe Vincent.
Jarred Vanderbilt will make his season debut, while Rui Hachimura is returning from his nasal fracture, Cam Reddish is back in the lineup from a groin injury, Jaxson Hayes is back from his elbow issue and LeBron James and Anthony Davis are set to play as well. The Lakers finally catch a break and are now able to play at nearly full strength for the first time all season.
The Rockets made a trip to Crypto.com Arena on Nov. 19 when the Lakers pulled out a nail-biting 105-104 win. Familiar foe Dillon Brooks dropped 24 points with six 3-pointers, so expect a juiced up Brooks again for this one as he lives to play against James. Alperen Sengun chipped in with 23 points and 10 rebounds as he continues to develop as a big man. Defense is a calling card for both teams, so the team that gets the most stops may win this game.
Jalen Green is behind Sengun averaging 19.6 points and Fred VanVleet with 16.1 points and 9.2 assists. Making Green a passer and keeping VanVleet as a table setter is the Lakers’ best bet for victory because if those two get going scoring-wise, it is hard to stop.
Head coach Darvin Ham finally gets a chance to tinker and experiment with new lineups as all of the Lakers’ wings are healthy and available. To have Reddish and Vanderbilt out on the perimeter will be a massive boost for the team. However, coming off a challenging four-game trip, the Lakers’ energy level will have to be monitored and perhaps having more bodies at their disposal will help that.
Houston is the only team in the NBA without a road win at 0-7 and L.A. has done a good job at protecting home court with a 7-2 record. The Lakers have to get out to a fast start to not give the Rockets any hope of picking up their first road win.
Los Angeles Lakers (11-9) vs. Houston Rockets (8-8)
7:30 p.m. PT, Dec. 2, 2023
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
TV: Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers starting lineup:
PG: D’Angelo Russell
SG: Cam Reddish
SF: Taurean Prince
PF: LeBron James
C: Anthony Davis
Key Reserves: Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Christian Wood, Max Christie, Jaxson Hayes
Projected Rockets starting lineup:
PG: Fred VanVleet
SG: Jalen Green
SF: Dillon Brooks
PF: Jabari Smith Jr.
C: Alperen Sengun
Key Reserves: Jeff Green, Tari Eason, Aaron Holiday
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