For the second time in a row, the Los Angeles Lakers dealt the Houston Rockets late-game blows, with Luka Doncic hitting a left-wing three to seal the 124-116 victory on Thursday to collect their seventh straight victory.
Despite injuring his right elbow in the latter half of the final quarter, LeBron James remained in the game and dealt a finishing blow of his own with an alley-oop dunk to finish with 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.
“I was pretty tired from the last game, but once the competitive juice gets going… My guys pick me up, I try to pick them up, and just try to make a few plays,” James said postgame.
Luka Flirts with 40-Point Triple-Double, LeBron Tallies Near-Perfect Shooting Night
Doncic once again solidified his case as the league’s best scorer. After dropping 36 points on Tuesday, Luka followed up by tallying a near triple-double of 40 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists today.
James’ 30-point outing was also a jaw-dropping performance on its own, as the King shot an astonishing 13-for-14 from the field, including numerous dunks off the lob and in transition.
With the victory, the Lakers have now won the season series against Houston, 2-1, which may be crucial in playoff seeding as both teams sit close to each other in the standings in the third and fifth spots.
Rockets Drop in Standings After Crumbling in Late Game Once Again
Despite falling to a 13-point deficit at one point in the match, the Rockets were eventually able to fight back and regain the lead in the fourth, but late-game miscues cost Houston to drop their second straight game.
Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun combined for 53 points in the losing effort, while Kevin Durant’s third-quarter explosion fell short, finishing with 18 points and 4 turnovers as Houston now falls to the 5th seed after Minnesota’s blowout win pushed them up the standings.
The Lakers will look to continue their winning streak in a match against the Miami Heat tomorrow, while Houston will try to return to the win column against the Hawks on Saturday.
