The Lakers had clutch performances in the waning minutes of Wednesday’s game to close out the Houston Rockets. It was a game that was close without Dwight Howard who was a scratch because of a sprained knee. Without Howard scoring in the middle, the Rockets annihilated the Lakers from the perimeter. They made 15 threes. The Lakers took advantage of a weak middle, scoring repeatedly in the paint. But it was the last minutes of the fourth quarter that decided the game when the Lakers went on a 12-1 run
Nov 19, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Jordan Hill (27) shoots during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Guarded by Trevor Ariza for much of the game, Kobe Bryant set the tone when he made a tough jumper and was fouled. Trevor defended Kobe most of the game and Kobe admitted going up against his former teammate was different than being guarded by other defenders. “The guys I have won championships with- we have a special bond. He’s really like my little brother. It’s actually tough to match up with him”, Kobe said.
Wesley Johnson made the play of the game, a steal on James Harden that led to a layup and foul. “I just wanted to play aggressive”, Wes said, “I knew I had help on the back side. I just pressed up more than I did earlier in the game. I knew he wanted to go left so I was playing him straight up so when I saw him jab I knew he was going to sweep so I stuck my hand and got my hand on it. I was focused on finishing it.” Wes went through his normal routine and sank the free throw. “It was good to get a back to back win.”
Nick Young made two free throws in the closing minutes. “Nick is a phenomenal talent”, Kobe said. “When you have players who can get buckets and can create it does wonders. Some teams have four, five, six guys who can do that. He’s creating mismatches, he’s working hard defensively.” Nick scored 16 points off the bench, sparking the team, even though he got a technical foul in the fourth quarter. And then he took some of the credit for the Lakers two road wins. “I’m like Michael Jackson, Prince”, he bragged, sounding ridiculous.
Byron Scott was pleased that other players stepped up to make big plays. “We can’t rely on Kobe Bryant to bail us out every night”, Byron said. “If we have four or five other guys playing well then we have a chance.”
One of those guys was Jordan Hill. He had his fourth straight double-double and made his presence felt in the paint. His offense is predicated on open jumpers and put backs. But on one play in the fourth, Jordan put the ball on the floor and drove to the rim. He had 10 of the Lakers 47 rebounds. Without Howard to deter them, the Lakers had 23 second chance points.
“Our team is growing”, Carlos Boozer said. “We lost a lot of people. We just got Swaggy back. We lost a huge chunk of our team. It took awhile to adjust to that.” Boozer went out of his way to compliment Wes Johnson whose only job is to defend the other team’s best player. “He needs to get more love for that”, Boozer said.
Even with the absence of Dwight Howard, it was a tough game. Earlier in the fourth, the Lakers found themselves down by one. In three straight possessions Carlos Boozer had the ball. In three straight possessions the ball avoided the rim. The Rockets, on a Jason Terry three pushed the lead back to seven. Kobe re-entered the game, Carlos Boozer left the game and the Lakers began trimming the lead.
The Lakers have won two games in a row for the first time this season. “The win gives us confidence”, Byron Scott said.