Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets: Match Preview and Predictions - 18th January 2020
Match details
Fixture: Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets
Date & Time: Saturday, 18 January 2020 (8:30 PM ET)
Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Last game results
Los Angeles Lakers (33-8): 118-119 loss to the Orlando Magic (Wednesday, 15 January 2020)
Houston Rockets (26-14): 117-107 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers (Wednesday, 15 January 2020)
Los Angeles Lakers Preview
2020 may be the first time since 2013 that the Los Angeles Lakers have any kind of impact on the NBA playoffs. They are 33-8 halfway through this season, holding the top seed in the Western Conference.
There have been a lot of trade rumors surrounding Kyle Kuzma, and Anthony Davis is out because of a gluteus maximus injury. Davis did not play in the one-point loss to the Orlando Magic.
The Lakers allowed Orlando a 65-58 first-half lead before scoring 60 second-half points to close the gap. Quinn Cook scored 22 points off of the bench and LeBron James was held to 19 points but produced a double-double with 19 assists.
Key Player: LeBron James
LeBron James is once again an MVP candidate despite being 35 years old. After missing 27 games last season due to injury, James has appeared in 39 of the Lakers 41 games this season, averaging a double-double with 25.4 points and 10.9 rebounds per game.
Lakers predicted lineup
Danny Green, Avery Bradley, LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee,
Houston Rockets Preview
The Houston Rockets are in the playoff picture halfway through the 2019-20 season. They are 26-14 and hold the 5th seed in the Western Conference, 6.5 games behind the Los Angeles Lakers - their Saturday night opponents.
Wednesday night the Rockets lost a contest to the Portland Trail Blazers 117-107. There were several reasons for that - like committing 12 turnovers to Portland's 7, and shooting 39.6 percent overall for the game.
Russell Westbrook produced a triple-double with 31 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds but his backcourt teammate, James Harden, scored just 13 points.
Key Player: James Harden
Despite James Harden shooting 3/12 against Portland Wednesday, he is a legitimate MVP candidate in 2020. Harden is averaging 37.2 points and 7.5 assists per game and has played in 39 of the Rockets' 40 contests.
Should Harden maintain his scoring pace, his average could be the highest since Michael Jordan's 37.09 in 1987.
Rockets predicted lineup
Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Clint Capela, Ben McLemore, P.J. Tucker
Lakers vs Rockets Match Prediction
The Lakers are a deep team, and are doing well despite injuries to Rajon Rondo and Anthony Davis. They have 12 players who have played in 25 or more games, averaging 10 or more minutes per game.
At the center position, the Lakers can rely on Javale McGee and Dwight Howard while Davis recuperates.
The Houston Rockets have relied heavily on just eight players all season, with only Austin Rivers, Eric Gordon and Ben McLemore seeing more than 15 minutes per game off of the bench. Moreover, only McLemore and P. J. Tucker have played in all 40 games for the Rockets this season.
Westbrook and Harden, who are ball-dominant guards, will need to be more careful with their play as while they score a collective 62 points, they also combine for nine turnovers per game.
This should be an exciting game between two of the Western Conference's better squads. The contest will also feature two current candidates for MVP and three former MVPs.
The Lakers are playing outstanding basketball and are 9-1 in their last 10 games. They have lost just three times on the road this season, and should be able to secure a win over Houston.
Where to watch Lakers vs Rockets?
You can stream the game live online with NBA League Pass. The game can be watched on TV on ABC and AT&T Sportsnet-South West.