National Basketball Association
L.A. Lakers 117, Houston 100
When: 8:00 PM ET, Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Officials: #71 Rodney Mott, #46 Ben Taylor, #82 Danielle Scott
Attendance: 3221

LeBron James scored 22 of his game-high 26 points in the first half and the Los Angeles Lakers posted their second runaway victory over the Houston Rockets in as many games, rolling to a 117-100 victory on Tuesday at Toyota Center in Houston.

The Lakers, who led by as many as 27 points in their 120-102 win on Sunday, matched that advantage on a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 3-pointer at the 3:35 mark of the second quarter. The Lakers led wire to wire while remaining perfect on the road, combining stingy defense with blistering perimeter shooting in the first quarter to build a 35-14 lead entering the second.

James made 4 of 9 3-pointers and added eight rebounds and five assists. Five other Lakers joined James in double figures, with Anthony Davis posting 19 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots in just 29 minutes. The starting backcourt of Dennis Schroeder and Caldwell-Pope combined for 28 points on 11-for-18 shooting with six rebounds and four steals.

Christian Wood paired 18 points with eight rebounds while James Harden added 16 points, seven rebounds, and six assists for Houston. The Rockets continued their poor shooting from deep, finishing 12 of 40 on 3s while shooting just 39.2 percent overall. Harden missed 5 of 6 treys and shot 5 of 16 overall.

The Lakers turned a 12-0 run into a 28-10 advantage in the first quarter, getting 3s from Caldwell-Pope and James while recording three blocks and forcing two turnovers during the rally. The Lakers entered the second quarter with a plus-8 advantage on the glass and eight fast-break points while limiting the Rockets to 6-for-21 shooting.

The Rockets weren't any more competitive in the second quarter and needed a Harden buzzer-beater to cut the deficit to 23 points at the intermission. The Lakers made half of their 18 3-point attempts in the first half and recorded 17 assists on their 28 baskets. Just for good measure, the Lakers totaled 19 second-chance points.

The Lakers hit their largest lead at 95-65 on a Kyle Kuzma layup at the 2:25 mark of the third quarter.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
L.A. Lakers   Houston
LeBron James 26 Scoring Christian Wood 18
Marc Gasol 5 Assists James Harden 6
Kyle Kuzma 11 Rebounds DeMarcus Cousins 10
Montrezl Harrell 6 Free Throws Made James Harden 5
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 3 Steals Sterling Brown 4
Anthony Davis 5 Blocks Eric Gordon 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
L.A. Lakers 117 50.0 14-32 19-27 26 55 12 10 21
Houston 100 39.2 12-40 12-16 23 42 5 14 15
Upcoming Games
  • Houston will play their next game on the road against San Antonio. The Rockets have a W/L % of .250 after a win and .400 after a loss.
  • L.A. Lakers will play their next game on the road against Oklahoma City. The Lakers have a W/L % of .667 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.