The Houston Rockets opened their Western Conference first-round series with a 107–98 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers on the road, and the performance drew sharp criticism from TNT analyst and former Rockets forward Charles Barkley.
Speaking on ESPN’s “Inside the NBA” after Sunday’s game, Barkley called Houston’s offense “awful to watch” and said the team relies almost exclusively on one-on-one play. “Whoever gets it, shoots it,” he said, adding that the Rockets “don’t run plays” and “have no point guard.”
Barkley pointed to the absence of Kevin Durant, sidelined by a knee injury, as a major factor. Without him, Houston shot just 37.6 percent from the field and struggled to establish rhythm. “I have no idea what kind of offense they’re running,” Barkley said. “Whoever gets it just jacks it up anywhere, any time.”
Analyst Kenny Smith highlighted defensive lapses, arguing the Rockets failed to execute any clear game plan. “If you stay home with guys and run shooters off the line, you eliminate easy looks,” Smith said. “That didn’t happen.”
While Houston searched for answers, the Lakers appeared composed. LeBron James orchestrated the attack, and Luke Kennard scored 27 points to help Los Angeles seize early control of the best-of-seven matchup despite missing several key backcourt players.
“The Lakers think they can win this series now,” Barkley warned. “If they mess around and win Game 2, Houston is in serious trouble.”
Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Houston entered the postseason confident, but one game into the series that outlook is already in question.
Source: Hoops Wire
