The Houston Rockets were seemingly in control of Game 3 controlling the tempo and keeping the Los Angeles Lakers at an arm’s reach throughout. Then all of a sudden, the bottom fell out and the Lakers went on to cruise to the 112-102 win and cover much to the chagrin of those that backed the Rockets plus the points. The loss came as a major disappointment for Houston who got 33 and 30 points respectively from their two superstars. Unfortunately, nobody else stepped up to the plate making Daniel House’s absence all the more bothersome. Now trailing 2-1 in the series and the Lakers gaining confidence with every passing game, the Rockets are going to be up against it if they can’t find a way to prevent LA’s dynamic duo from continuously doing as they please at the offensive end of the court. The Lakers are now back to 5.5-point favorites for Game 4 with the total lined at 220.5; the lowest O/U of the series.
This game will take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 10, 2020, and the game will be broadcast live on TNT. You can bet on NBA odds at BookMaker.eu the remainder of the playoffs.
NBA Playoff Odds at BookMaker.eu
Los Angeles Lakers -5.5
Houston Rockets +5.5
Over/Under 220.5
Head-To-Head Results
In logging the 112-102 win and cover as 4-point favorites on Tuesday night, the teams have split their six overall confrontations both SU and ATS. Houston took home the outright and ATS win by taking care of the rusty Lakers 112-97 as 6.5-point favorites. Linemakers trimmed a full point off the pointspread for Game 2 dropping LA to 5.5-point chalk, but LA still went on to seal the deal by earning the 117-109 win and cover to even up the series. Game 3 saw the exact same impost hit the board, but the betting markets flocked the way of the Rockets ultimately lowering the pointspread to -4 at tip-off. The end result was the same as the prior game. The 214 combined points failed to surpass the 222-point closing total moving the under to 2-1 in the series. The total has shortened up with every passing game heading into Game 4. Game 1 closed 227, then 223 and 222. Thursday’s O/U is 8.5-points lower than the average of the previous six tilts!
Game 3 Recap
After going for 33 and 31 points in the first two quarters of Game 3, the Rockets offense went into hibernation right out of the break with James Harden and company being held to a playoff-low 18 points in the third. With that, the teams entered the fourth and final quarter tied at 82 points apiece. It was nip and tuck the first few minutes, but then something clicked for the Lakers. Rajon Rondo has his fingerprints all over the eruption! His assist on a LeBron James layup gave LA its first lead of the second half. He then followed it up with a 3-pointer to increase the lead to 89-85 which gave the Lakers their biggest lead of the game. Rondo sunk another 3-ball immediately after and then picked Harden’s pocket for another two points the other way to cap off a 10-0 run that proved to put the game on ice. Though Harden and Russell Westbrook tried their damndest to get Houston back in the game, it all went for naught.
Matchup to Watch
James and Anthony Davis have simply been unstoppable over the course of this series. Even in the Lakers Game 1 defeat, each seemingly had their way with James going for 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting and Davis scoring a team-high 25 points while knocking down 62.5 percent of his shots. It only got worse for the Rockets in Game 2. “The Brow” connected on 15 of his 24 overall shot attempts to lead the team in scoring with 34 points. LBJ hit 59 percent of his 17 shots for 28 points with the duo combining for 21 rebounds. Then in Game 3, they combined for 62 of the Lakers 112 overall points and combined for another 22 rebounds. Houston has had no answer for either of them close to the rack with countless lay-ups surrendered ad nauseum. If the Rockets can’t find a way to protect the rim moving forward, this series will come to a close on Saturday night!
NBA Odds Pick
While House’s absence from Game 3 did play a role in the Rockets not being able to see the win all the way through, Houston has a much bigger issue to deal with heading into Thursday night’s crucial tilt. How do they defend the paint to prevent LA’s superstar duo from continuing to eat them alive? Honestly, I don’t think they can. LeBron and Davis have routinely averaged 60+ percent of LA’s scoring output through the first three games of this series, and that’s likely not going to change. The only way to combat it due to a lack of defensive personnel is to simply just ball out at the other end of the floor. Houston has shot 40 percent or better from beyond the arc in each of the last two losses. They shot 36 percent from deep in Game 1’s triumph, but also played even on the glass. They lost the battle of the boards in Games 2 and 3. For Houston to have another shot at winning a game in this series, it must hit at an obscene rate from beyond the arc, but most importantly, it must be competitive in the battle of the boards. LA’s shooting percentages have done nothing but improve since dropping the series opener. It’s high time the Rockets got all players on deck and hung a crooked number on the board. I’m thinking Game 4 has the potential to be the highest scoring game of the series. There’s simply too much line value to be had to not take a shot on the over!
Prediction: Lakers 127, Rockets 126
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