Due to a late scratch of Anthony Davis, the Lakers found themselves unable to keep pace with the youthful Rockets.

With Anthony Davis unexpectedly ruled out, the Lakers struggled to fill his void and suffered a significant defeat, succumbing to the Rockets with a final score of 128-94.

Christian Wood was inserted into the starting lineup in place of Davis but had a tough night, managing zero points and four rebounds in 22 minutes during the loss. LeBron James, although present, had a relatively quiet night, contributing 18 points in 27 minutes. Rui Hachimura made his return and had his most productive offensive performance of the season, leading the Lakers in scoring with 24 points.

The Lakers now hold a 3-5 record for the season and will be seeking their first road victory of the year when they face the Phoenix Suns on Friday.

Houston wasted no time establishing dominance, jumping to an 11-2 lead early in the game, while the Lakers struggled to find their offensive rhythm.

LeBron James had a few noteworthy moments in the opening quarter, particularly against Dillon Brooks, who had claimed he was ready to defend against James. The crowd seemed to relish the back-and-forth, and despite being in a Rockets-dominated arena, you could hear cheers when James scored.

However, the Lakers’ first-quarter woes persisted, and they ended the quarter trailing the Rockets 32-19.

Houston maintained control of the paint, accumulating 44 points in the first half alone. Despite James and Hachimura’s contributions, not much went well for the shorthanded Lakers, and they found themselves trailing by 21 at halftime.

During the third quarter, both teams exchanged baskets, which favored Houston given their significant lead. D’Angelo Russell found his rhythm from beyond the arc, sinking a couple of three-pointers and scoring 15 points in the quarter. However, the Lakers never posed a genuine threat, and at the 3:11 mark, James was benched for the night.

With James not returning to the court and the Lakers trailing by 28, the fourth quarter turned into garbage time. The Lakers’ end-of-the-bench players, such as D’Moi Hodge and Maxwell Lewis, received substantial playing time, as the Lakers did everything but formally concede to let the clock run out.

Key Takeaways

The absence of Davis left the Lakers in a challenging position, and Houston’s Alperen Sengun took full advantage by dominating the paint and scoring 19 points on an impressive 80% shooting.

The road ahead doesn’t appear any easier for the Lakers, as they are set to face the Phoenix Suns next. Phoenix is likely to have only one of their three star players available in Kevin Durant, but that might prove to be sufficient, particularly if Davis remains sidelined, and the Lakers continue to struggle with their recent lackluster performances.