Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers game preview

It’s been a while since I last felt upset about a Houston Rockets loss.

I’ve been disappointed, and I’ve been disgusted. I’ve also felt apathy. But being legitimately upset? That’s a new development. And it means that the Rockets are on the way back.

Now, the Rockets will have to shake off their disappointing loss against the Clippers and look to the other team in LA, the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Rockets dominated the first matchup between these teams, but as any LA fan will shout at you, Anthony Davis was out for that contest. He’s back and since that loss to Houston, the Lakers are 4-1. They’re 3-0 in the In-Season Tournament, and you can bet LeBron James wants to add “inaugural tournament winner” to his legacy.

Plenty of Rockets could have closed the Clippers game better, but obviously Jalen Green is taking it on the shins more than his colleagues. Green usually plays the Lakers pretty well, so we’ll see how he responds. Also, tonight’s game and Monday’s (against Golden State) will really put the defense to the test. Like the Clippers, these teams feature stars on their home courts that will get plenty of phantom calls to go their way. The Rockets need their best defenders to stay on the floor. They will have to find the middle ground between aggressiveness and passivity.

Tip-off

8:30pm CT

How to Watch

Space City Home Network

Injuries

Rockets

Amen Thompson-OUT (ankle)

Lakers

Gabe Vincent-OUT (knee)

Looking ahead because we can

Monday in San Francisco against the Warriors