Los Angeles Lakers Smack Houston Rockets Out of Orbit

With San Antonio struggling down the home stretch, Friday’s Rockets-Lakers tilt was a chance for the Rockets to announce their presence as the Lakers’ top Western Conference competition.

However, with the Lakers’ 93-81 victory, it was they who sent the message with their smackdown that the Rockets just aren’t in their league.

Rockets offense vs. Lakers defense

Los Angeles put major pressure on Houston’s ball handlers, forcing them to make difficult passes under distress. The result was a Rockets offense that had trouble initiating their sets, let alone making plays.

Houston committed 18 turnovers, compared to 10 for Los Angeles, with most of the damage coming early in the first quarter (leading to a quick 10-2 Lakers lead), midway through the third (with the Lakers breaking open a tie game at the half and going up 65-55), and late in the fourth (with the Lakers breaking open a four-point lead to win by 12).

It should be noted that while the Lakers’ starting unit befuddled the Rockets, their bench’s defense was woefully inadequate. When Luke Walton tried to trap Ron Artest, Artest simply blew by him and bulled over Pau Gasol for a layup. Neither could Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic duplicate the intense pressure applied by Derek Fisher.

Derek Fisher was the defensive catalyst and he proved why he’s such a valuable playoff asset. His red-alert ball pressure and ability to fight over screens flustered Houston’s point guards to no end.

As a result, Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry combined to shoot a dismal 1-11, and committed four turnovers, not including the mental errors of losing track of the shot clock leading to a pair of shot-clock violations.

For sure, the duo compiled nine assists, but Lowry’s three came against the Lakers’ second stringers, while only two of Brooks’ six came in the second half.

Past Lakers strategy of defending Yao Ming involved overplaying the middle and sending a double-team from the baseline which would fluster him into turnover after turnover, a strategy that was not applied in this particular game.

Instead, the Lakers allowed Yao to go one-on-one against Pau Gasol and if any double team was sent, it was sent from the top side. Plus, with Yao favoring to go with quick baseline turnarounds, it meant that he would be able to get his shots off without much resistance.

As a result, Yao had a successful game—6-12 FG, 4-6 FT, 10 REB, two AST, two TO, 16 PTS. But because he didn’t get the ball enough, he wasn’t allowed to be a presence in the second half.

Luis Scola—7-10 FG, nine REB, 15 PTS—worked hard, always hustled, plugged his jumpers, and scored a number of impressive baskets, including a left banked hook from the left box, and a switched-hands driving layup, both against Lamar Odom.

Despite given awful passes the entire game, Shane Battier connected on four of the eight open threes he was presented with, and he passed up a semi-open three pointer to find Luis Scola all alone at the foul line for a made jumper.

Von Wafer made several horrendous decisions—lobbing a cupcake in the backcourt to Brooks with Fisher hounding Brooks, and not giving the ball up on a two-on-one break that resulted in a fortunate bailout foul—and couldn’t shoot up his mistakes—2-6 FG.

Whenever Ron Artest was given an angle to the basket, he was strong enough to run through whichever Lakers defender was guarding him and get to the cup. And when Artest was allowed to play the power forward position late in the third quarter into the fourth, he would blow by the bigger slower defender, or size him up for elbow jump shots.

However, Artest made a number of costly mistakes which contributed to the Rockets defeat. Overpenetrating along the baseline and forcing throwback passes which were easily intercepted.

Trying to split well-positioned double teams on screens, leading to careless passes. Going one-on-five late in the fourth and simply bowling over Trevor Ariza. Forcing and misfiring on a number of pull-up threes.

Artest isn’t a great playmaker against alert defensive teams, and he often implodes down the stretch of games. Battier and Scola are essentially spot up shooters, and Yao needs an entry pass to have the ball.

Because Artest, Brooks, and Lowry haven’t proven to be world class decision makers against straight-jacket ball pressure, the Rockets offense will inevitably struggle against that kind of defense in the playoffs.

Which is why their ultimate ceiling is the Conference Finals.

Lakers offense vs. Rockets defense

Because of the publicity Battier’s defense on Kobe Bryant has received because of Michael Lewis’ New York Times The Magazine piece, it’s become common knowledge that Battier’s goal is to force Bryant to shoot as many contested jumpers going left as possible.

However, Kobe knows that too. He also knows that he’s almost single-handedly lost games for the Lakers by forcing shots and drives that aren’t there.

Which is why his performance against the Rockets was a thing of beauty—7-11 FG, 4-6 three FG, seven AST, three TO, 20 PTS.

If Battier was going to force Kobe left, high brush screens at the wing would give him enough space to launch pull-up threes without Battier’s hand contesting the shot.

When Kobe attacked inside the three-point line, he did so to force Houston’s defense to swarm, where kick-out passes or drop-off passes led to open jumpers or easy dunks.

And twice, Kobe tortured Battier’s attempts to force him left by jabbing and attacking Battier’s lead foot faster than Battier could drop step or help could arrive. The results were an uncontested dunk and a two-shot foul (making both free throws).

And eight of Kobe’s points came in a three-minute stretch in the fourth quarter that gave the Lakers an 11 point lead.

When Battier did successfully force Kobe to drive left, his own defense, as well as Houston’s alert help forced Kobe to commit a turnover and miss a layup. But since Kobe made a conscious effort not to drive left into the teeth of traffic, his brilliance controlled the game.

Fisher—6-11 FG, one AST, 15 PTS—also stepped up, making impeccable decisions in transition, running the Lakers’ offense without a hitch (0 TO), and abusing Brooks and Lowry with pull up jumpers around screens.

Despite a huge speed advantage, Gasol had little success against Yao. Even though Gasol would get a half a step with his drives, Yao was so massive that Gasol couldn’t get completely around him. And Yao was big enough where he put major pressure on Gasol’s jumpers and hooks.

Most of Gasol’s success came against Scola who wasn’t long enough or wide enough to bother Gasol’s quick spins and array of hook shots.

Both Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza were shut down whenever Artest was assigned to them.

The Lakers had trouble finishing at the rim due to Yao’s tremendous size and alert rotations. Yao blocked six shots, including four in the fourth quarter, and altered countless more. His man defense on Gasol, and help defense in the paint was the main reason the Lakers shot under 40 percent.

The other reason was the fact that the Lakers bench was horrible. Jordan Farmar and Vujcaic were abysmal, Josh Powell was a non-entity, and aside from a few nice passes and some tough rebounds, Luke Walton embarrassed himself.

If not for D.J. Mbenga making targets for himself in the paint, and connecting on a pair of long jumpers, the Lakers’ bench would’ve contributed absolutely nothing.

As it was, the Lakers got enough turnovers to fuel their early offense and transition game which allowed them to secure a number of easy points despite only being average in their halfcourt offense. And when they needed baskets, Kobe always delivered.

It’s their speed, length, and quick-footed defense which contests every pass, catch, and dribble that fuels the Lakers against their plodding Western counterparts. And even if they are having a bad offensive game, they always have Kobe Bryant to turn to late in ball games.

But the Lakers’ bench play, their over-reliance on Kobe and Gasol, the too-frequent disappearing acts of Lamar Odom means that leave the Lakers offense far from perfect.

And defensively, the Lakers are too frequently forced to overhelp, and as a result are forced to over close out which leads to a number of open mid range jump shots for opponents.

Despite having the best record in the league, the Lakers are very vulnerable.

But since few Western Conference teams have the discipline, the talent, and the defense to take advantage, it may be a moot point.

If the Rockets had a premier point guard and another perimeter scorer, they’d have a chance to unseat Los Angeles. As is, any opponent either aggressive enough or disciplined enough to let Artest implode himself will knock the Rockets out of their playoff orbit.