Big bang! The Lakers lost 110-114 to the Rockets, who finished bottom in the West.
The Lakers are 9-4 after the trade deadline and have strong momentum. The Rockets have long ranked bottom of the West and have been determined to miss the playoffs. The Lakers originally thought that the game was stable, but they didn't expect to lose in the end.
The Lakers trailed by 12 points in the first quarter and trailed by 14 points at halftime. In the second half, they struggled to catch up, but they could not equalize the score, and finally had to accept the bitter consequences of the loss.
Russell shot 5-of-17, 3-of-11 three-pointers and 5-of-6 free throws, scoring 18 points and 7 assists; Vanderbilt shot 6 of 14, with 13 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals; Reeves was 6-of-14 from the field, 11-of-13 from the free throw line, and had 24 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists; Schroeder scored 16 points on 3-of-10 shooting and 10-of-12 free throws. Beasley had 16 points and 3 rebounds, Hachimura 5, Troy Brown 8 points, Gabriel 6 points and 15 rebounds and Lonnie Walker 4 points.
For the Rockets, Porter Jr. shot 11 of 17, 2 of 5 three-pointers, and 3 of 4 free throws, with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Smith had 18 points and 6 rebounds, Martin Jr. 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, Jaylen Green 11 points and 5 rebounds, Shen Jing 13 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists, Christopher 12 points and 3 rebounds, and Tate 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. The Rockets' 7 players scored double-doubles, and more blossoms made the Lakers defenseless.
The Rockets won mainly on the inside, where they scored 78 points inside and the Lakers scored only 46 points. Rebounds comparison, Lakers 37, Rockets 50. Bamba was out due to injury, the thick-eyed brother was also arranged for rotation, and the Lakers had no one available inside and was blasted by the Rockets. Without rebounding protection on the inside, there is little confidence in shooting from the outside. In this game, the Lakers did not feel good as a team. 34 of 92 shots, 37% shooting; 11 of 44 from three-point range, 25 percent from the field.
Lakers coach Hamm is a little bigger, maybe he thinks that the Rockets at the bottom of the West have limited strength, and arrange thick eyebrows to rest. If the thick-eyed brother can play this game, the Lakers should be stable.
With a previous 9-4, the Lakers have rushed into the top 10 in the West, and as long as they win the Rockets, they can continue to improve the ranking and are expected to enter the playoffs directly. The Rockets, who finished bottom in the West, were the easiest game to win, but the Lakers carelessly lost their hands and ceded the victory. Losing this game, the Lakers continue to rank tenth in the West, and it is basically difficult to hit the top six in the West.
At such a critical moment, Hamm chose to take turns to rest his brother, which also puzzled many fans. Although it was a back-to-back game, the Lakers won the last game against the Pelicans relatively easily, and the thick-eyed brother did not expend much energy. As long as there is a thick-eyed brother sitting in the Rockets, winning is almost a sure win.
Some fans questioned, could it be that the Lakers took turns to lose the game on purpose, so as to wait for the black eight? If the Lakers continue to win, they will move up the rankings, and the first round of the playoffs may face the Grizzlies or the Suns. The Lakers lost and avoided moving up to the top eight in the West, so that after getting a playoff ticket through the playoffs, they could face the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, and the Nuggets are considered the best team to play in the top four in the West.
But are the Lakers really confident that they will be able to keep the top 10 in the West and get a playoff ticket through the playoffs? The Pelicans, Thunder and Lakers are only half a win away. If the Lakers can't get the top ten in the West, then they won't have to play the playoffs. And to play the playoffs with the tenth place in the West, the Lakers have to win 2 consecutive games to get a playoff ticket. In a tiebreaker play-off, are the Lakers really confident that they can win 2 games in a row?