Houston Rockets beat Los Angeles Lakers 115-96 at home on Sunday, April 26, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Rockets struck first, taking the opening quarter 26-21 and a 5-point lead after one. The Rockets kept the pressure on with a 30-26 second quarter, carrying a 9-point lead into halftime.
The Rockets won the third 34-18 to create some separation, taking a 25-point lead into the fourth. The Lakers took the fourth 31-25; the Rockets held on for a 115-96 regulation win.
What decided it
The Rockets took better care of the ball, turning it over on 13.5% of possessions compared with 23.9% for the Lakers. The Rockets made 30.9 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 23 for the Lakers. Those extra possessions were crucial.
At roughly 96 possessions per team, the Rockets produced 119.2 points per 100 possessions to 99.5 for the Lakers.
The Lakers' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 38-20.
Who made the difference
Tari Eason was the game's biggest individual force for HOU: 20 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 5 stl on 7-10 shooting. His Game Score of 22.1 led everyone. His team was +31 with him on the floor.
Deandre Ayton led the Lakers with 19 pts, 10 reb, 0 ast on 9-12 shooting, good for a 14.8 Game Score.
Deandre Ayton (19 pts, 10 reb, 0 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 60% for the Rockets.
Across the last 9 meetings in our records, Los Angeles Lakers lead 7-2.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.