Rockets Crush Lakers on Christmas Day
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, standing out among six players who reached double figures in scoring. In addition to his points, Thompson contributed seven rebounds and five assists, demonstrating his versatility on the court.
Kevin Durant was also key in the victory, scoring 25 points and nine assists. This performance helped the Rockets improve their away record to 7-7. The cohesion of the Texan team was evident from the start of the match.
For the Lakers, Luka Doncic scored 25 points, while LeBron James added 18. This was the Lakers’ 27th consecutive Christmas game and the 52nd in their history. However, the result extended the team’s losing streak to three, leaving their season record at 25-27.
Doncic and James, together, made four of 11 attempts from the three-point line and were responsible for nine of the Lakers’ 16 turnovers, which significantly impacted the development of the game.
Doncic’s return to the team was notable, after missing the previous game due to a left leg injury suffered against the Clippers.
The encounter also held historical significance by pitting James and Durant, the two leading scorers in NBA history, against each other, marking the first time two players with such a record faced off in a game.
In the paint, Alperen Sengun was key to Houston’s dominance, capturing 12 rebounds. The Rockets outrebounded the Lakers 48-25, with Sengun matching the number of rebounds of the home team’s starting lineup.
