The Los Angeles Lakers have wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, so they don’t have much to play for during the last few games of the regular season. This team won’t take its foot off the gas pedal entirely given the long layoff, but the Lakers likely won’t have the same sense of urgency they did in their first few games in Orlando. That could bode well for the Houston Rockets, as the Rockets are looking to move their way up the Western Conference ladder prior to the start of the postseason.
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Head-To-Head Results to Date
This is the rubber match between these two teams, as they split their two games in the regular season. The Lakers went into Houston and picked up a 124-115 victory over the Rockets back on January 18. Anthony Davis was out for that game, so LeBron James took over with 31 points and 12 assists on 13 of 25 shooting. Russell Westbrook and James Harden combined for 69 points with Harden getting to the free throw line 18 times, but it wasn’t enough to get the win.
The Rockets returned the favor with a win over the Lakers in the Staples Center a few weeks later. Westbrook was superb with 41 points on 17 of 28 shooting, and newly acquired Robert Covington shined in his first game with Houston. He helped make the difference as James Harden had an off night from the field. Anthony Davis went 14 of 21 from the floor, but he was the only Laker with more than 20 points.
Injury Report
Avery Bradley will not be participating in the remainder of the season, and Rajon Rondo is unlikely to play until the playoffs after fracturing his thumb a month ago. Those are the only two players listed on the injury report for the Lakers though.
Houston doesn’t have Thabo Sefolosha for the rest of the year, and Eric Gordon will miss at least another two weeks with an ankle injury. Bruno Caboclo is listed as day-to-day with a sprained right ankle.
Game Preview
There were concerns about whether Harden and Westbrook could coexist at the start of the season, but they have answered that question in the affirmative to create the highest-scoring duo in the league. The two guards are averaging a whopping 62 PPG between them, and they get to the line almost 20 times a game.
Harden is great at drawing contact and getting opponents into foul trouble, and while he doesn’t have the best shooting numbers, the Rockets know he is where their bread is buttered. If Russell Westbrook’s three-point shooting could improve, this team could take another big step forward.
Of course, the Lakers probably have the best duo in the NBA with James and Davis running the show in LA. James can put up a triple-double at any time against a team like Houston, while Davis might be the most dominant low post player in the game.
The concern for Los Angeles going forward is its guard play. J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters are seeing significant minutes, and that could hold this team back in the postseason.
X-Factor
Davis has the potential to dominate the Rockets down low on Thursday night. We saw him destroy Utah in the paint on Monday with 42 points, and Houston doesn’t have a big man that can slow him down. The Brow could easily drop another 40 points against a subpar defense.
Prediction
Houston will have a rest advantage as the Rockets have Wednesday night off while the Lakers play Oklahoma City the day before this game. Expect a high scoring game in this one, and a total that should reflect that belief.
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