Rockets Crush Lakers in Christmas Classic
The Houston Rockets dominated the Los Angeles Lakers with a strong performance, securing a 117-96 victory in the traditional Christmas Day game. The Houston team maintained control of the game from start to finish, ending a two-game losing streak.
Amen Thompson led the Rockets’ offense with 26 points, accompanied by five other players who also reached double figures in scoring. In addition to his points, Thompson contributed seven rebounds and five assists, solidifying himself as a key figure in the victory.
Kevin Durant also shone, scoring 25 points and nine assists, guiding the Rockets to improve their away record to 7-7. The cohesion of the Texas team was evident from the start of the match.
On the Lakers’ side, Luka Doncic scored 25 points and LeBron James added 18, in what was the 27th consecutive appearance of the Los Angeles team in Christmas games and the 52nd in its history within this traditional NBA day. However, the result extended the team’s losing streak to three, which now stands at 25-27 for the season.
Doncic and James, combined, made four of 11 attempts from the three-point line and were responsible for nine of the Lakers’ 16 turnovers, a crucial factor in the development of the game.
The Slovenian star returned to action after missing the previous game in Phoenix due to a left leg injury suffered last weekend against the Clippers.
The encounter also had historical significance, as it pitted James and Durant against each other, the two players with the most points scored in NBA history, marking the first time that a pair of rivals had entered a game with such an offensive accumulation in their careers.
In the paint area, Alperen Sengun was fundamental to Houston’s dominance, capturing 12 rebounds and contributing to the Rockets’ significant out-rebounding of the Lakers by 48-25, matching the number of rebounds of the entire starting lineup of the home team by himself.
