Dec 7, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) drives against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
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Lakers vs Rockets on Wednesday night was a chance for Los Angeles to redeem itself.
After fighting an onslaught of injuries to their starting lineup recently, the Lakers needed a sense of revival. The first half in Houston didn’t go that way, but halftime gave them a bit of a breather.
Los Angeles had way too many turnovers, even in the first quarter alone. Poor possessions and ball movement made it easier for Houston to take the lead going into the break.
The Rockets led by 12 points at halftime, but it could have, and should have, been way worse.
Things went in favor of the Lakers here and there, but what really sealed the deal in the first half was Lou Williams’ shot from 3/4 court.
The Lakers have needed every bit of his veteran assistance lately, and their game against the Rockets was no different.
That in mind, here are the three things we learned from the game in Houston.
Lack of bench production
Dec 7, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) and forward Luol Deng (9) attempt to steal the ball from Houston Rockets forward Trevor Ariza (1) as forward Montrezl Harrell (5) looks on in the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Usually it’s the bench that has saved the Lakers this season. It was not the case when they visited Houston, as the team struggled right out of the gate.
Los Angeles has been able to depend on their non-starters, but even they have an off game every once in a while.
This time around, the Lakers were out-scored 64-44 with respect to their bench, and it only went south from there.
Lou Williams came off 38 and 40 point performances to lead the bench and team with 24 on Wednesday night.
Julius Randle was second in team scoring, with 21 of his own, but he was in the starting lineup, so it was expected. Brandon Ingram also stepped up, scoring 12 points and grabbing seven boards.
If the Lakers expect to stop their now-four game skid, they’ll have to see more from their bench against Phoenix on Friday.
Inability to close out and finish strong
Dec 7, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcelo Huertas (4) defends Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) in the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
If the saying about not focusing on how you start but rather how you finish has any bearing, the Lakers better start listening to that advice. Playing sound basketball means playing consistently, but also playing well.
Going into halftime, Los Angeles was only down by 12 points, but watched it evaporate in the third quarter. Not only that, but Houston’s momentum leaked into the fourth quarter, where the Lakers weren’t able to find the basket.
Instead of making a late game push, Los Angeles only scored 18 points in the fourth quarter.
Lou Williams scores 24 points in an otherwise rough night for the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/Z1vlriT4JG
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 8, 2016
Compare that to Houston’s 28 in that quarter combined with a 39-point performance to start the second half and you have a problem.
It’s not that the Lakers didn’t finish well, it’s that they finished how they started.
The Rockets opened up the game with 43 points heading into the second quarter, and frankly should’ve been up by more.
If they continue that trend against the Suns, they’ll only extend their losing streak.
Too many careless turnovers
Dec 7, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley (2) steals the ball from Los Angeles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. (7) in the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Overall, the Lakers had 28 turnovers in their blowout loss in Houston. The Rockets turned it over 20 times for comparison, but it was the early mistakes that really doomed Los Angeles.
Without D’Angelo Russell, this team hasn’t been itself on a nightly basis. Injuries to Nick Young, Jose Caulderon, and Tarik Black don’t help that, either.
Russell could be back in action as soon as Friday, and they’re going to need every bit of him to be healthy, vibrant, and productive.
Houston out-rebounding the Lakers by 13, and shot 15% better from the field and 16% better from beyond the arc.
With the win, the Rockets exacted revenge after losing on opening night in Los Angeles.
Whether the team will continue to have a healthy point guard in Russell and a healthy flow on offense or not, the turnovers are flat out unacceptable.
You can’t turn the ball over almost 30 times in a game and expect to win, let alone lose a close one.
It’s proven to be the consistent flaw of this young core, but the good news for them is that there’s both room and time to grow.
They just have to stay hungry.
Closing Thoughts
Dec 7, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) grabs a rebound in front of Houston Rockets forward Montrezl Harrell (5) in the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Losing in a blowout is never an easy pill to swallow, but neither is a four-game losing streak. Going into their next game against the Suns, the Lakers will try and end both of those bad trends and kill both birds with one stone.
An easy answer to fixing their problems from Wednesday’s loss is to start playing like themselves again.
They must enjoy the game together in order to excel at it, and that kind of atmosphere should change with Russell returning soon.
Lou Williams needs to continue to be a factor though, and not let his hot hand wear off so easily.
High-scoring from the bench and better ball control and offensive flow will lead to them getting things back on track.
Following their loss to Houston, their record falls to 10-14 on the year — but we must remember that even this is farther along than we expected that they would be.
So cut them some slack, if you can.
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