Lakers edge Rockets behind Luka Doncics 40-point performance

Los Angeles Lakers Beat Houston Rockets 124-116

The Los Angeles Lakers secured their seventh consecutive win, defeating the Houston Rockets 124-116 in an away game on Wednesday night. Luka Doncic led the team with 40 points, while LeBron James added 30 points to his total for the season.

This marks the Lakers’ tenth victory in 11 games, following a previous win against the Rockets earlier this week. The Lakers took the lead by four points with approximately 90 seconds remaining, when Doncic assisted James on an alley-oop dunk. A turnover by Kevin Durant on the other end allowed Doncic to make a three-pointer, increasing the lead to 120-111 with less than a minute left.

Doncic also contributed 10 assists and nine rebounds in the game, falling short of a triple-double. James shot 13 of 14 from the floor, tying his best single-game performance, and secured 12,002 rebounds, making him the 23rd player in NBA history to reach this milestone.

For the Rockets, Alperen Sengun scored 27 points and had 10 assists in his return after missing two games due to a back issue. Amen Thompson added 26 points and 11 rebounds as Houston lost for the third time in four games. Durant finished with 18 points and six rebounds, while the Lakers trailed by two before Rui Hachimura and Doncic made consecutive three-pointers to take a 113-109 lead.

The game was tied early in the fourth quarter before James scored the first four points in a 6-0 run that gave the Lakers a 102-96 lead with less than nine minutes remaining. The Rockets responded with a 9-point run, including a three-pointer by Durant, to take a 105-102 lead with approximately six and a half minutes left.

The Lakers are currently third in the Western Conference with a record of 44 wins and 25 losses. The Rockets dropped to 41-27 for the season.

Source: Al Jazeera