The Los Angeles Lakers locked down the Houston Rockets in the fourth quarter Monday night, forcing nine late turnovers and riding Luka Doncic’s 36 points to a 100-92 road win at Toyota Center.
Los Angeles (43-25) has won six straight and now leads Houston (41-26) by 1½ games for the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed. The clubs meet again in Houston on Wednesday.
Kevin Durant finished with 18 points but scored only two after halftime and committed seven of the Rockets’ 24 turnovers. The Lakers repeatedly sent a second defender at him down the stretch, holding Houston to 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting in the final period.
“I just felt like I lost the game for us tonight,” Durant said. “They decided not to let me get comfortable. I’ve got to be smarter with the ball.”
Doncic carried the Lakers’ sputtering offense, going 14-for-27 from the field. Los Angeles shot just 8-for-34 from three-point range but compensated by limiting Houston to 35 second-half points and forcing 15 turnovers after the break.
LeBron James added 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting and praised the defensive approach against Durant. “You’ve got to try to show him different looks, keep him off balance, and hope he misses,” James said.
First-year head coach JJ Redick pointed to the team’s recent surge on that end. The Lakers rank 20th in season-long defensive efficiency (115.7 points allowed per 100 possessions) but have surrendered only 109.3 over their past 10 games, sixth best in the NBA. “That shows the commitment our guys have right now,” Redick said.
Doncic, shouting from a neighboring locker, jokingly credited the turnaround to “Luka locking that s— up,” before later citing “effort and communication.”
Houston played without All-Star center Alperen Sengun, sidelined by lower back pain. His absence simplified Los Angeles’ decision to swarm Durant, with the Lakers waiting for him to put the ball on the floor before “firing” a second defender.
Durant questioned whether handling the ball late in games is the best option. “It just makes us stagnant,” he said. “Maybe I need to get out of the way and space the floor.”
The Rockets remain just a half-game ahead of Denver and Minnesota in a tight race behind the West’s top tier.
Source: ESPN
