On January 5th, Beijing time, as the NBA regular season progresses, the Western Conference standings have undergone another dramatic change. The Thunder remains at the top with a 14-game winning streak, followed closely by the Rockets and Grizzlies. The Nuggets, Lakers, and Mavericks, despite an unfavorable start to the season, have managed to catch up with the championship contenders in the middle of the season. In contrast, the three teams that were considered favorites for the championship at the beginning of the season - the Spurs, Timberwolves, and Suns - have completely fallen behind. Among them, the Lakers, who are not favored among the championship contenders, have made almost no meaningful reinforcements during the offseason. Even though Davis explicitly stated that he hoped Pelinka would sign a big man center, all they ended up with was Crocker, who suffered from thrombosis and was insured last season. In addition, amidst widespread doubts, Pelinka signed rookie Christie to a $32 million mid-level contract, claiming that he would be an indispensable force on the Lakers' championship journey in the new season. However, as the 2024-25 season officially began, Christie's performance at the start of the season was not ideal. As the starting shooting guard for the second unit, his average score struggled to even reach double digits, and his absurdly low three-point shooting percentage once made Redick "question life." What exactly did the management see in him? How did this player manage to get a $32 million contract and re-sign with the Lakers? It is worth noting that just when the outside world…

The Lakers had a glimpse of victory in the game, but ultimately, their hopes were snuffed out by Jalen Green's continuous scoring. Although they trailed by 20 points at one point, the Lakers nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback. The reason why the Lakers failed to achieve a 20-point comeback in this game can be attributed to two players who could be considered moles. The first is Christie, who, in the final moments, threw an inbound pass directly to the Rockets' VanVleet, effectively ending any chance of a Lakers' comeback. The second is Hachimura, a forward who was essentially a spectator on defense, allowing opponents to score at will and sometimes not even bothering to raise his hand. His defense became a cash machine for the Rockets. LeBron James, despite putting up a near-triple-double with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists, struggled to carry these two liabilities. After the loss, both Christie and James looked at each other in disbelief, unable to fathom how such a passing error could be so catastrophic. It should be noted that Christie played well throughout the game, especially defensively, showing great effort and tenacity. However, it was a significant mistake during the crucial inbound pass that cost them. Bachunlei, on the other hand, is a player who elicits frustration, seemingly incapable of contributing anything meaningful. It's unclear why he's even on the court, as every time he plays, the Lakers seem to lose ground. It might be better to dismantle him or trade him for other capable players. The Lakers are reportedly interested…

The Houston Rockets hosted the Los Angeles Lakers in a thrilling NBA matchup. The Rockets welcomed back Amen from suspension, while Ethan and Smith were sidelined due to injuries. The starting lineup for the Rockets featured VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon, Amen, and Sengun, while the Lakers started with Reaves, Christie, Hachimura, James, and Davis. In the first quarter, Amen quickly scored six points, followed by Anthony Davis assisting Hachimura with a three-pointer after being double-teamed inside. Davis then scored on Dillon. Sengun made a basket, and Jalen Green showcased his offensive and defensive skills. Reeves and Green traded three-pointers as both teams exchanged leads. Davis blocked Sengun, leading to a timeout for the Rockets. After the break, VanVleet hit a three-pointer, and Green added seven more points, giving the Rockets a five-point lead. Davis fouled Adams, resulting in another timeout. Post-pause, Jalen Green fearlessly drove to the basket, drawing a 2+1 foul on LeBron James, and Adams extended the lead to double digits. Davis blocked Amen twice, but Green responded with another three-pointer! Tate hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer, ending the quarter with the Rockets leading 36-22. During the second quarter, both teams rotated their lineups. Amen continued to attack the basket, earning free throws and scoring on a putback. Adams delivered a powerful dunk, prompting a Lakers timeout at 41-22. Upon James' return, he halted the bleeding with some points, but Holiday was also on fire, and VanVleet's three-pointer increased the lead to 20 points. Christie scored four points, and Udoka called a timeout. Back in action, Amen aggressively attacked…

The Lakers have been making a lot of trades recently. They first traded Russell for two good helpers, Smith and Milton, and now they are eyeing Valanciunas, which has attracted attention from the entire league and made fans restless. The Lakers' management has really invested heavily this time. Many people felt it was a loss when Russell was sent away, but the two players, Smith and Milton, have indeed brought new energy to the team, especially Smith's defense, which is like putting a net over the opponents' heads, and Milton's breakthroughs are also fierce. Russell's time with the Lakers was not very comfortable. His shooting accuracy fluctuated, and he was hesitant to take key shots, which almost drove the coaching staff crazy. In the end, he could only sit on the bench and watch others play. In this situation, trading him away was actually a win-win decision. After Smith arrived, the team's defensive intensity increased significantly. Opponents' scorers were troubled by him, and his three-point shooting was particularly accurate. This made the Lakers' offense more three-dimensional, and opponents dared not easily double-team James and Davis. Although Milton is not very famous, he plays very smartly, with fast break speed and accurate shooting. He is willing to step up in critical moments, which is particularly important in the playoffs. The Lakers' strength has indeed improved significantly after this trade, but the management is apparently not satisfied. They now have their sights set on Valanciunas, who has performed quite well with the Wizards. Valanciunas has a distinctive playing style, with diverse offensive…

NBA regular season, the Rockets defeated the Lakers 119-115 at home. In this game, the Rockets completely played well in the first half, crushing the Lakers to maintain the lead. Although there was a slack in the third quarter, they were still able to stabilize their advantage in the final quarter and eventually narrowly win against the Lakers. Two players had perfect scores throughout the game. Green scored 33 points with 6 rebounds and 4 assists, and he scored double digits in both the first and third quarters. In the final moments, Green could continuously make key shots, which helped the Rockets stabilize the point difference. His performance is commendable, and it's estimated that he would convince countless people. Amen was also a major focus, scoring a season-high 23 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, completely playing like an interior player. He also caused James to commit an offensive foul in the final moments, which is also commendable. VanVleet, Whitmore, Adams, Holiday, and Tate all had passing performances. VanVleet didn't have many highlights throughout the game, but he made a crucial steal in the final moments, scoring 15 points with 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block from 5 out of 11 attempts, which is still acceptable. Adams was still a major focus, although he was just a substitute, he had 7 offensive rebounds in 16 minutes and caused multiple rebound fouls on his opponents. The help this veteran provided to the interior was too terrifying. Whitmore's performance in this game was also quite good, as he once…

On January 6th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued. In today's Western Conference matchup, the Lakers lost 115-119 to the Rockets on the road, ending their two-game winning streak with a record of 20 wins and 15 losses. Facing the young Rockets, the Lakers started very poorly. The Lakers scored 22 points in the first quarter but allowed the Rockets to score as many as 36 points on defense. In the second quarter, the Lakers still had few options and were pulled away by the Rockets to a lead of up to 22 points. In the third quarter, James exploded with four three-pointers in a single quarter, once helping the Lakers close the gap to just two points. However, due to being pulled away again by the Rockets at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Lakers ultimately missed out on a 22-point comeback. For the Lakers, it was a great pity that they failed to complete a 22-point comeback today. In the final moments of the game, the Lakers were not without chances to win. With 38 seconds left in the game, the Lakers were only down by 4 points, but James was called for a foul after pushing down Armoni Brooks on offense, missing a good opportunity to catch up. After the Rockets missed a shot, James made a layup to reduce the deficit to 2 points. The Rockets' Zhou Qi made one of two free throws, giving the Lakers a chance, but the Lakers' sideline ball was intercepted by the Rockets. Christie passed to James, who…

The Lakers' big trade involving five players for two seems to have turned from a great deal to a significant loss. The situation with Smith is particularly problematic as he is reportedly difficult to manage, demanding both money and playing time, leaving the team in an awkward position. The Lakers' management made a bold move by trading Russell, Lewis, and several second-round picks to acquire Smith and Milton. Initially, the entire league thought the Lakers had made a good deal. Russell was seen as a marginal player on the Lakers, not performing well on the court and not expected to become a core player. On the other hand, Milton is a decent backup player who can shoot and drive to the basket, and is willing to step up in crucial moments, although it's uncertain how long he will stay with the team due to the high turnover rate of role players. Smith is indeed a skilled player with solid defense and accurate three-point shooting, making him a sought-after player in the league. However, he appears dissatisfied with his contract, looking down upon the player option worth over $15 million and wanting to explore the free market. This has put the Lakers in a difficult situation, as they initially believed they had found a strong assistant to help them compete for the championship, only to find out that Smith had no intention of staying long-term. Despite the coaching staff and teammates enjoying Smith's company and having a good time with him during training, it seems these factors are not enough to…

The Lakers suffered a heartbreaking loss at home against the Orlando Magic, who were playing back-to-back games. The game was decided by a last-second shot from Franz Wagner, a familiar scenario for Lakers fans as Anthony Davis missed two free throws, allowing the opponent to hit a three-pointer for the win, a situation that occurred more than once last season. However, the Lakers did not lose this game due to their 26-for-17 free throw shooting, which cost them 9 points. While this was unfortunate, it was not the main reason for their defeat. 1. Why Did Reddish Only Play in the Final Play?‌ Throughout the fourth quarter, the Lakers primarily used Christie in their rotations, with Reddish only entering the game in the final play to defend against Wagner, who ultimately made the game-winning shot. Coach Ham's decision to use Christie was clear; he wanted to chase after Suggs, who had a good game. However, in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, the Magic focused their offense on Wagner, using screens to switch out the big men. Wagner then attacked Christie twice in a row and followed up with two more attacks on Reeves. At this point, Christie was completely unable to keep up, being at a disadvantage in height and wingspan, making him the weakest point on the court. In comparison, KCP posed too great an offensive threat to be replaced, and Reeves' experience in close defense and ability to share the ball on offense meant he couldn't be taken off either. It was time to replace…

On January 6, the NBA regular season continued. The Los Angeles Lakers traveled to play away against the Houston Rockets. In this game, the Lakers once trailed by 22 points but fought back in the third quarter to catch up with the score. Both sides remained deadlocked until the final moments before a winner was decided. The Rockets ultimately defeated the Lakers 119-115, avoiding consecutive losses while also ending their opponents' two-game winning streak. Lakers (20-15): LeBron James had 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists; Anthony Davis scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds; Austin Reaves contributed 21 points and 10 assists; Lonnie Walker IV added 14 points and 6 rebounds; Rui Hachimura scored 13 points; and Max Christie also scored 13 points. Rockets (23-12): Jalen Green led the team with 33 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists; Alperen Sengun scored 14 points and grabbed 6 rebounds; Bruno Fernando added 15 points; and Eric Gordon contributed 13 points. In the first half of the first quarter, both teams exchanged blows on the court, with no significant difference in the score. After the midway point, Jalen Green suddenly stepped up his game, leading the Rockets to a 12-1 scoring run that established a double-digit lead. In the first quarter alone, Jalen Green scored 18 points, almost matching the Lakers' total score for the quarter. At the end of the first quarter, the Rockets led the Lakers 36-22 by 14 points. In the second quarter, the Rockets started strong with five consecutive points, bringing the gap close to 20 points. Midway…

On January 6th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued. In today's Western Conference focus game, the Lakers lost 115-119 to the Rockets on the road, ending their two-game winning streak, with a record of 20 wins and 15 losses! Although the Lakers suffered a defeat today, James' performance was still outstanding. In the entire game, James played for 36 minutes, shooting 8 out of 16, including 4 out of 7 three-pointers and 1 out of 2 free throws, totaling 21 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1 steal, with a plus-minus value of -13, only higher than Milton's -16! The Lakers fell into trouble in the first quarter, as they were hit by an offensive wave from the Rockets. James only managed to score once under the basket, with 2 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in the quarter. In the second quarter, James' shooting remained poor, making only one jump shot, scoring a total of 5 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in the first half, with the Lakers trailing the Rockets by as many as 18 points. Entering the third quarter, James had a big explosion. Especially in outside shooting, James made four three-pointers from the left 45-degree angle, the top of the arc, and the right 45-degree angle, going 4 out of 5 from three-point range in the quarter. Adding to that was a mid-range jumper, James scored 14 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists in the quarter. Under James' leadership, the Lakers narrowed the gap to just 2 points at most, almost erasing a 22-point…