National Basketball Association
Houston 135, L.A. Lakers 119
When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, January 29, 2024
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Officials: #74 Curtis Blair, #82 Suyash Mehta, #37 Eric Dalen
Attendance: 18055

Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun posted near-matching double-doubles as the Houston Rockets blistered the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 135-119 on Monday.

Green produced his third consecutive double-double with 34 points, a career-high 12 rebounds and seven assists. Sengun tallied 31 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists as that duo co-authored a rousing offensive effort from the Rockets, who shot 53.1 percent from the floor and scored 29 fastbreak points.

Rookie Cam Whitmore added 20 points off the Houston bench while Jabari Smith Jr. put up 18 points and nine rebounds. Dillon Brooks scored 17 points for the Rockets, who led by as many as 30 before the Lakers fashioned a fourth-quarter rally. Houston won for the second time in three games.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis and D'Angelo Russell scored 23 points apiece for the Lakers, with James adding a team-high 10 assists. Los Angeles had won five of its previous seven games.

The Rockets, who were up by 18 at halftime, reeled off a 12-1 spurt to open the second half. When Smith banked in a shot in transition with 7:35 left in the third period, the Rockets secured a 94-64 lead. When the Lakers started their methodical crawl back into contention, the Rockets seemed to have an answer, including a Green 3-pointer that lifted the margin to 108-83 with 26.8 seconds left in the third.

The Lakers' bench seized momentum in the fourth, and after Rui Hachimura (16 points) and Jaxson Hayes provided the spark, James carried the torch. His 3-pointer with 3:54 left cut the deficit to 121-111, but Houston salted away the win at the foul line, earning a split of the four-game season series.

Green and Russell engaged in a spirited back-and-forth in the first period, both pouring in 13 points in the frame. The Rockets carried a 42-31 lead into the second period, and then boosted the gap to 62-41 on a Green 3-pointer.

Two Brooks jumpers in the waning moments, including a 20-footer at the buzzer, lifted Houston to a 78-60 halftime lead. Five Rockets scored in double figures in the first half, with Whitmore tallying 16 off the bench. Houston shot 55.6 percent in the half, bolstered by 20 fastbreak points.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
L.A. Lakers   Houston
Anthony Davis 23 Scoring Jalen Green 34
LeBron James 10 Assists Fred VanVleet 14
Anthony Davis 7 Rebounds Jalen Green 12
Rui Hachimura 6 Free Throws Made Jalen Green 6
Anthony Davis 2 Steals Jabari Smith Jr. 3
Max Christie 1 Blocks Alperen Sengun 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
L.A. Lakers 119 49.5 13-35 16-26 26 35 6 10 12
Houston 135 53.1 12-36 19-25 36 56 2 10 15
Upcoming Games
  • Houston will play their next game at home against New Orleans. The Rockets have a W/L % of .545 after a win and .417 after a loss.
  • L.A. Lakers will play their next game on the road against Atlanta. The Lakers have a W/L % of .417 after a win and .583 after a loss.