In a game held on January 6th, Beijing time, the Rockets defeated the Lakers at home with a score of 119-115, successfully resisting a 22-point comeback attempt by the Lakers and maintaining their second place ranking in the Western Conference. In this match, James scored 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Davis scored 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks. The Rockets once led by 22 points, but the Lakers fought back in the second half to narrow the gap, ultimately falling short. At a critical moment, the Lakers made repeated mistakes, while Jalen Green scored the highest for the Rockets with 33 points, and Amen Thompson returned from suspension to score 23 points and grab 16 rebounds, setting new highs in both points and rebounds.
In the Lakers' game, Davis performed outstandingly, scoring 30 points and 13 rebounds, and also contributing 5 blocks. James scored 21 points and 13 rebounds, while also providing 9 assists. Reeves also had an excellent performance, scoring 21 points and dishing out 10 assists. Hachimura scored 13 points, Christie got 14 points and 6 rebounds, and Finney-Smith took 13 points, with 2 assists and 2 steals.
In the game, Jalen Green performed brilliantly, scoring 33 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Amen Thompson also shone, scoring 23 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. Shen Jing contributed 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, while VanVleet scored 15 points. Dillon scored 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, Whitmore got 8 points and 4 rebounds, and Adams had 8 points and 9 rebounds.
The Rockets faced considerable pressure playing at home, but fortunately, Jalen Green and Amen Thompson had outstanding performances. With their excellent displays, the Rockets successfully withstood the pressure and defeated the Lakers at home, securing victory in this crucial match.
During the first quarter of the game, Davis successfully blocked Shen Jing. With this block, Davis's career total number of blocks reached 1772, surpassing the legendary Rockets player Elvin Hayes and moving up to 25th in NBA history for total blocks.
The first quarter began with Amen, who had just ended his suspension period, scoring 6 points in a row. Reeves then hit a layup, followed by Hachimura's steady three-pointer, and Davis scored with a hook shot. Shen Jing then scored under the basket, and Reeves and Hachimura continued to hit three-pointers. Jalen Green scored 5 points in a row, and Amen performed another dunk. After VanVleet hit a three-pointer, Jalen Green exploded offensively, scoring 10 points on his own, breaking through Davis and drawing a foul on James to complete a 2+1 play. He then hit another three-pointer, scoring a total of 18 points in the quarter. Finally, Tate hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer, allowing the Rockets to extend their lead to 14 points. The first quarter ended with the Rockets leading the Lakers 36-22, with Davis shooting only 1 out of 6 in the first quarter, scoring just 2 points.
In the next quarter, Amen and Adams successively scored through putbacks, quickly extending the lead to 19 points. James then scored with a bank shot, Reeves hit a mid-range shot, and Aaron Holiday scored two consecutive goals. VanVleet hit another three-pointer, and Christie scored 7 points in one breath. Amen continuously broke through towards the basket, and Shen Jing's mid-range shot was successful. Reeves completed a 2+1 play, and Davis gradually found his shooting touch, scoring three consecutive shots. Dillon and VanVleet continued to hit three-pointers, but even so, the Rockets maintained a 20-point lead. Finally, Reeves made two free throws, and at halftime, the Rockets led the Lakers 67-49.
In the first half of the game, on the Lakers' side, Reeves played well, scoring 12 points and dishing out 6 assists, while Hachimura also scored 10 points. However, James only scored 5 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and contributed 4 assists, while Davis scored 8 points and 4 rebounds, with neither of them reaching double digits in points. On the Rockets' side, Jalen Green scored 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, while Amen Thompson scored 15 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. VanVleet and Shen Jing each scored 9 points. Moreover, the Rockets had a clear advantage in rebounds, leading the Lakers 28-14 in rebounds in the first half.
In the second half of the game, Jalen Green started by scoring with a layup, followed by Reeves and James hitting consecutive three-pointers, and Jalen Green's mid-range shot was also successful. James then hit a long three-pointer and completed an impressive alley-oop dunk with Davis, as the Lakers launched a 21-6 run to reduce the deficit to 5 points. After that, Amen completed an alley-oop dunk, and James and Jalen Green traded three-pointers. Tate hit a three-pointer, and the lead was extended back to double digits. However, Finney-Smith, Christie's three-pointers, and Davis's consecutive free throw scores allowed the Lakers to go on a 9-0 run, reducing the deficit to 2 points. By the end of the third quarter, the Rockets led the Lakers 91-89.
In the final quarter of the game, Holiday hit a three-pointer first, followed by Adams' putback and Whitmore scoring 5 points in a row, helping the Rockets go on a 10-0 run. Then, Finney-Smith and Hachimura's three-pointers broke the Lakers' scoring drought. Subsequently, players like Amen and Davis also scored. After Shen Jing hit a hook shot, Finney-Smith completed a 2+1 play, and the Lakers were only down by two points. After that, Amen completed a putback dunk, VanVleet hit a mid-range shot, and Jalen Green hit a three-pointer, giving the Rockets a 7-point lead. Although Davis hit a three-pointer and James scored, the Rockets still held the advantage and ultimately defeated the Lakers.