Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets: Live Score, Highlights and Analysis
It wasn't the prettiest of games, but boy was it entertaining.
In a sloppy duel that came down to the wire, it was the Los Angeles Lakers that emerged victorious over the Houston Rockets, 99-98, thanks to the heroics of point guard Steve Blake, who knocked down a game-winning three-pointer with 1.3 seconds to go.
After shooting 80 percent from three in the first half, the Lakers struggled mightily in the third and fourth quarters, and finished the night shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 45.7 percent (16-of-35 overall and 5-of-21 in the second half) from distance.
James Harden led all scorers with 35 points on 9-of-24 shooting and was aided by 14-of-16 shooting from the charity stripe. He attempted more free-throws than the Lakers did as a team.
Dwight Howard, in his first game against the Purple and Gold since signing with Houston, dropped in 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in 36 minutes, but was a minus-two on the night and shot just 5-of-16 from the free-throw line.
The Lakers' bench played a huge role in the win, as well. Jodie Meeks led all L.A. scorers with 18 points (5-of-7 from three), while Wes Johnson added 16. Jordan Farmar and Jordan Hill both made nice contributions as well, adding 11 and six points, respectively.
Pau Gasol, however, put forth his worst performance of the season to date, scoring just two points on 1-of-10 shooting while grabbing 12 rebounds.
The two teams combined to produce 41 turnovers.
L.A. is now 3-3 on the season and will travel to New Orleans for a matchup with the Pelicans tomorrow. Houston fell to 4-2 with the loss and is due for a showdown with the Clippers—their second this week—tomorrow at home.
