HOUSTON — It was just 1 ½ weeks ago where there were questions about how the Lakers fared against the league’s best teams – especially in the Western Conference.
It took them just 10 days to quell those concerns, with Wednesday’s 124-116 win over the Rockets at Toyota Center, their second straight over the Rockets after Monday’s win in the same arena.
Luka Donicic led the Lakers with a near 40-point triple double, finishing with 40 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
LeBron James turned back the clock with six dunks as part of a 30-point performance.
Deandre Ayton had 16 points and three blocked shots, while Austin Reaves finished with 14 points and eight assists.
What it means
The Lakers won their seventh-straight game which ties a season-high from November.
They improved to 44-25 on the season, maintaining being the third seed in the Western Conference standings.
Turning point
When Doncic made a turnaround 3-pointer with 3:12 remaining in the game to give the Lakers a 113-109 lead.
Doncic’s sixth 3 of the night came after he assisted Rui Hachimura on a corner 3 that gave the Lakers a 110-109 advantage after they exchanged leads with the Rockets.
The Lakers led for the remainder of the game.
MVP: Luka Doncic
This could’ve easily been James, who had a near-perfect shooting performance, making 13 of his 14 field goal attempts.
But Doncic’s late-game heroics – which included the stepback 3 to put the Lakers up 120-111 with 58 seconds left – gives him the nod.
Stat of the game
That was the number of 3s Doncic made on Wednesday, putting him at 223 for the season.
He’s three away from tying D’Angelo Russell’s franchise record for most made 3s in a season (226), which he set in 2023-24.
Up next
The Lakers will close out their back-to-back set with a matchup against the Heat on Thursday night at Kaseya Center.
