Los Angeles Lakers travel to face struggling Houston Rockets

The Los Angeles Lakers travel to face Western Conference strugglers the Houston Rockets, live on Sky Sports Mix in the early hours of Friday morning.

The visiting Lakers, led by LeBron James, have overcome a stodgy start to the season, winning six of the last seven games to improve their record to 17-10, good enough for fifth place in the Western Conference.

Conversely, the Rockets, who lost to the Golden State Warriors in last season’s Western Conference finals, have endured a nightmare first quarter of the campaign, finding themselves second-from-bottom of the West with a 12-14 record.

Given the Rockets have 2018 league MVP James Harden, elite point guard Chris Paul and big man Clint Capela at their disposal, their current plight is alarming. Injuries, suspensions, failed acquisitions and the loss of key role players from last year’s team have all contributed to their troubles.

Both teams will be hoping to avoid a repeat of the scenes from the October 21 meeting at Staples Center, where a nasty brawl marred a 124-115 Rockets win. Paul and Lakers Brandon Ingram and Rajan Rondo received multi-game suspensions for their involvement in the incident.

Ingram and Rondo will miss the game through injury.

Key Battle: LeBron James v James Harden

Two of the league’s best scorers going head to head certainly whets the appetite.

James, averaging 28.3 points per game, is just as likely to hurt the Rockets with his distribution but has shown he remains ever-ready to power his team by taking on the scoring burden.

Harden has been one of the few reliable contributors for the Rockets this term, matching the numbers from his MVP season (albeit with a few more turnovers). ‘The Beard’ is averaging a league-best 30.0 points and almost 10 trips to free throw line per game.

He will have to pace Houston if they are to match the high-octane Lakers offense.

Last time out

Numbers game

41.7 – That’s the number of three-point shots the Rockets make per game, a league-high figure and one consistent with coach Mike D’Antoni’s offensive philosophy.

One of the Rockets’ issues this year is that those three-pointers have not been falling as regularly as they did last season. Last season Houston made 36.2 per cent of their three-balls. This year that figure stands at a below-league-average 33.6.

D’Antoni will hope that his shooters – Paul, Harden, Eric Gordon, Gerald Green – show signs of emerging from their three-point funk.

One to watch (Lakers): Kyle Kuzma

Kuzma has faced criticism of being nothing more than a scorer who plays no defense but over recent games he has really stepped up his game.

In his last five games, Kuzma has averaged 25.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.0 three-pointers, streak that culminated with a 33-point outburst to see off the Miami Heat on Monday night.

Kuzma’s all-round offensive contributions are crucial to ease the overall pressure on James to deliver night in and night out.

One to watch (Rockets): Eric Gordon

Gordon’s struggles this season have those of the Rockets. His three-point shooting (35.9 per cent) earned him second place in last season’s Six Man of the Year award. This term, Gordon is making fewer threes at a woeful 30.1 per cent.
Gordon’s diminished contributions off what is already a weak bench has heaped pressure on the Rockets’ starting five. Will he finally find his range consistently against the Lakers?

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(c) Sky News 2018: Los Angeles Lakers travel to face struggling Houston Rockets