LeBron James, Lakers Beat James Harden, Rockets; Anthony Davis Sits with Injury

LeBron James posted 31 points and 12 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 124-115 on Saturday at Toyota Center.

Kyle Kuzma added 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led all bench scorers with 20.

James Harden and Russell Westbrook carried a Rockets team that largely struggled from the field. Harden scored 34 points and dished seven assists. Westbrook's 35 points on 15-of-23 shooting led all scorers.

The rest of the starting lineup only scored 23 points. Eric Gordon added 13 off the bench.

The Lakers played their fifth straight game without big man Anthony Davis, who sat with a bruised tailbone.

L.A. improved its Western Conference-leading record to 34-8. The 26-15 Rockets lost their third straight.

Notable Performances

Lakers G/F LeBron James: 31 PTS, 12 AST, 5 REB

Lakers F Kyle Kuzma: 23 PTS, 8 REB

Lakers G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 20 PTS, 4 AST

Rockets G Russell Westbrook: 35 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST

Rockets G James Harden: 34 PTS, 7 AST, 6 REB

Rockets G Eric Gordon: 13 PTS, 3 REB

Lakers in Cruise Control En Route to Western Conference Home-Court Advantage

It's good to be the King in Los Angeles, where James and the Lakers are three wins away from matching their entire win total from last year.

They'll likely accomplish that feat before January and tack on somewhere in the neighborhood of 30-35 more when this regular season is done.

The Lakers' win put them 4.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets for first place in the Western Conference, which is home to two simultaneous races for the second seed and the eighth seed.

L.A. doesn't have to worry about either of those right now with all the pistons firing even with Davis on the shelf.

The Lakers' role players have done a tremendous job meshing with James and filling their roles admirably.

Kuzma is the team's second scorer with Davis out. JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard are blocking everything in sight. And at least one of the Lakers guards or wings seemingly steps up and goes off every game.

That latter group takes turns, with Danny Green and Caldwell-Pope doing the honors tonight. Both scored 20 points on efficient shooting clips, with Green going 7-of-15 (4-of-9 from three-point range) and KCP making half of his 14 shots.

In essence, James set the ball on the tee for Green and KCP to do work, and they both took advantage with excellent nights in a quality road win.

Six of James' assists went to KCP or Green, with one being this James dish to Caldwell-Pope for a back-breaking fast-break layup late in the game:

He also had a solid rapport with Kuzma and the big men, including McGee:

Everything is working for the Lakers on both ends, with team reporter Mike Trudell shouting out their defense and bench in particular:

Not only that, but the Lakers have a very favorable schedule from now through March 1, with 10 of their next 18 games on the road. A hot stretch there could leave any reasonable doubt about who the No. 1 seed may be completely behind.

Ultimately, L.A. is coasting to first in the West. The only question is whether the team can sustain this momentum throughout the postseason.

Rockets' Poor Shooting, Defense Gives Houston Third Straight Loss

It's too early to push the panic button yet in Houston despite a 1-4 stretch that has pushed the Rockets down to sixth in the Western Conference standings. After all, the team's season just hit its midpoint.

But each game of late brings more evidence that this team is not close to contending for a title.

All of the Rockets' problems seemed to come to light Saturday as poor shooting, defense and depth hindered Houston en route to a nine-point home loss.

All Rockets not named Harden or Westbrook went just 17-of-47 from the field for 46 points. On the other end, Houston allowed 117 or more points for the third straight game. Off the bench, only two Rockets scored any points, with Gordon and Danuel House combining for 23.

Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire expanded upon Houston's shooting problems:

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle mentioned the team's transition defense efforts:

And Space City Scoop wondered whether Rockets general manager Daryl Morey needs to make some moves:

In sum, the Rockets entered Saturday 18th in field goal percentage and 21st in three-point percentage. They ranked 15th in defensive efficiency, per ESPN, and their bench scoring is last in the league, according to NBA.com.

Perhaps the Rockets course-correct soon and start resembling the team that started the year 11-3, but they are mired in a tough slump right now as the top five in the West separates itself from the rest of the pack.

What's Next?

Both teams will participate in the league's annual Martin Luther King Day Jr. schedule this Monday.

The Lakers will play the second of a five-game road trip against the Boston Celtics at 7:30 p.m. ET in TD Garden.

The Rockets will host the Oklahoma City Thunder at 5 p.m.