The game between the Rockets and the Lakers was quite a spectacle, with its ups and downs making it very interesting. Initially, it seemed like it would be a one-sided affair, but it ended up going down to the wire. Fortunately, the Rockets managed to secure the victory, solidifying their ranking. So, what aspects of this game are worth analyzing? Let's take a look. The Rockets' lineup change proved to be a great success, with two output geniuses contributing significantly to their win, which is indeed shaking up the Western Conference.
As everyone knows, the Rockets had several players missing from this game. Ethan was out due to injury, and Xiao Jia also got injured, but fortunately, Aman returned. So, where did the Rockets get it right in winning this game? We can identify four correct decisions. The first decision was the successful lineup change. With Aman's return, Udoka opted for a lineup change, starting with Dillon, Aman, Shen Jing, Green, and VanVleet.
This starting lineup turned out to be quite stable, with Aman serving as a substitute for Xiao Jia and performing his role well. The second decision was to capitalize on their interior and rebounding advantages. While the Lakers have Anthony Davis, the Rockets' interior is no pushover. In this game, the Rockets repeatedly scored inside, accumulating 52 points. Additionally, they controlled the boards effectively, grabbing 49 rebounds, including an impressive 18 offensive rebounds.
The third decision was to speed up the offense and quickly get into defensive positions. As everyone saw during the game, the Rockets were quite sharp on offense, aiming to catch their opponents off guard. On defense, they quickly took their positions, preventing the Lakers from launching fast breaks. The Lakers only managed to score 2 points on fast breaks, which is quite rare. This shows that the Rockets' defensive strategy worked, preventing the Lakers from playing to their strengths.
The fourth decision was to put the ball in the hands of Jalen Green. Green played ferociously in this game, not only being decisive when things were going well but also stepping up to score when the Lakers were closing the gap. Green is a scoring genius for the Rockets, finishing with 33 points and 6 rebounds. And let's not forget Aman, another scoring genius for the Rockets, who contributed 23 points and 16 rebounds, also a formidable presence.
The Rockets won this game even without their full roster, demonstrating that they have a deep bench that can be further tapped into, with promising results. This season's Rockets have truly shown their growth and are indeed shaking up the Western Conference landscape. Of course, these players tend to give up leads easily, which is something to watch out for, as it has been a common issue this season.