The Lakers will be at STAPLES Center again on Thursday for their second matchup with the Rockets in the past week
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets met up less than a week ago and it wasn’t pretty for the Lakers in any regard. In the final matchup of their eight-game road trip, they suffered a shellacking at the hands of the Rockets where only Kobe Bryant really showed much sign of life—and even that was too little too late.
However, the Lakers and Rockets will meet again on Thursday night and the tides have seemingly turned over such a short time. Not only will this contest be played in STAPLES Center—on Lakers turf—but the Lakers also seem to really be turning over a new leaf that hadn’t been fully realized in that matchup against Houston.
For one, Kobe’s performance as of late can’t be praised enough. His improved shot-selection, his improved efficiency as a shooter, and his increasing willingness to facilitate others in the offense hasn’t gone unnoticed. It’s actually hard to ignore considering the positive effects that it has had on the offense and the team as a whole.
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Moreover, the continuing development of rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell is impossible to deny. For whatever reason, the 19-year-old has turned it on as of late in every capacity imaginable. He’s been attacking as a scorer, as a facilitator, and has actually stepped it up as a defender (at least in terms of trying to create turnovers).
Against the Rockets, the Lakers will also look for Jordan Clarkson to attack the lackadaisical Rockets defense on the wings along with Kobe to find success in this matchup on Thursday night. Moreover, Houston’s power forwards have shown vulnerability defensively at times, meaning Larry Nance Jr. must be more aggressive than normal and that Julius Randle must maintain his normal level of energy.
The Rockets aren’t going into this matchup without any weapons in their arsenal. James Harden and Dwight Howard are still two of the most dominant presences in the entire league and should have success again in this matchup against the shaky Los Angeles defense. Inside STAPLES, though, this matchup should be just a bit closer than the previous meeting between these two teams.
Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers
Date: Thursday, Dec. 17
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. PST
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Arena: STAPLES Center
TV Info: TNT
Live Stream: Watch TNT, NBA League Pass (only available after game)
Radio: Here
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Rockets -6
Moneyline: Rockets -245, Lakers +205
O/U: 213.5
Injury Report
Los Angeles Lakers: None to report
Houston Rockets: Sam Dekker (back)—Out
Prediction
I realize that the Lakers were just shelled by the Rockets less than a week ago, but this Lakers team somehow looks far different than that team. It’s no coincidence that they looked like a different team at home on Tuesday and I think that leads to something unprecedented for this Lakers squad—the start of a winning streak.
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