HOUSTON — The Lakers once again proved why they are one of the hottest teams in the league right now with another big win over their playoff rivals.
The biggest question facing Los Angeles heading into the All-Star break is how they stack up against these teams.
advertise
They put those doubts to rest with another victory Wednesday night for their 10th win in 11 games, beating the Rockets 124-116 to extend their winning streak to seven games and tie their season-best.
Luka Doncic and LeBron James combined for 70 points and the Lakers beat Houston for the second time in three days at Toyota Center.
Doncic was just one rebound shy of a triple-double, finishing with 40 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists, while James finished with 30 points on a near-perfect 13-of-14 shooting.
Game Changer: Seize the Stretch Opportunity
The Lakers started strong in Houston, making 20 assists on their first 28 field goals and shooting 59% from the field.
advertise
Los Angeles’ push in the first half gave them a huge 12-point lead at halftime.
At the beginning of the third quarter, the Rockets went on an 18-5 run, leading the Lakers for the first time.
Houston outscored the Lakers 37-22 in the third quarter, trailing Kevin Durant by 13 points, giving them a three-point lead entering the fourth quarter.
At the beginning of the last quarter, the Lakers, led by Doncic and James, regained their vitality in the first half of the offense. The Lakers started with a 13-4 climax.
With 2 minutes and 40 seconds left in the game, Doncic broke through two defenders with the ball behind the screen and found Rui Hachimura for a no-look lob. The Lakers led 115-111.
advertise
After splitting up another Rockets defender, Doncic once again sent James a blind lob, giving the Lakers a 117-11 lead with 1:22 left in the game.
This season, the Lakers have achieved a record of 20 wins and 6 losses in key games, with a winning rate of 76.9%, the highest in the NBA.
Game Breaker: Don (again)
Doncic became the key figure in the Lakers’ victory with his heroic performance in the final moments of the game. This was also the 47th time this season that he became the team’s scoring leader.
Doncic capped off the road victory with a step-back 3-pointer over Jabari Smith Jr. with 58.4 seconds left, giving the Lakers a nine-second lead.
advertise
It was his seventh three-pointer of the night, and he was four points away from breaking the Lakers’ single-season record for three-pointers made.
D’Angelo Russell set a record for 3-pointers made in 2024 with 226.
their position
The Lakers’ record improved to 44 wins and 25 losses, firmly ranking third in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles now has a season decider against the Rockets, as well as the other two teams behind them in the standings, the Timberwolves and Nuggets.
Los Angeles is currently 21-13 on the road and 19-20 against teams that are .500 or above.
next step
The Lakers continue a six-game road trip with Miami on Thursday, their third game in four days.
They then headed to Orlando, Detroit, and finally to Indiana to finish the trip.
