The road woes continued Saturday for the Rockets (8-9), who are now 0-8 outside of Houston after a 107-97 loss (box score) to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers (12-9) at the Crypto.com Arena.
Star big man Anthony Davis led the hosts with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks, shooting 10-of-22 from the field (45.5%) and 7-of-9 (77.8%) on free throws. Los Angeles led convincingly for most of the second half, with Houston eating into the final margin late.
For the Rockets, Saturday’s individuals of note included:
- Alperen Sengun: 21 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals; 8-of-25 shooting (32.0%), 3-of-8 o 3-pointers (37.5%)
- Fred VanVleet: 22 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds; 7-of-15 shooting (46.7%), 4-of-7 on 3-pointers (57.1%)
- Jalen Green: 10 points, 7 rebounds, 6 turnovers; 4-of-15 shooting (26.7%), 1-of-6 on 3-pointers (16.7%)
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 10 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals; 4-of-7 shooting (57.1%), 0-of-3 on 3-pointers
Lakers superstar LeBron James finished with 16 points (41.2% FG), 7 rebounds, 5 turnovers, and one technical foul, which he picked up during a fourth-quarter exchange with Ime Udoka. Houston’s head coach picked up his own technical foul as part of the sequence and was ejected, since it was his second for the game.
In postgame comments, Udoka downplayed the ejection and instead focused his frustration on his team’s performance.
“Probably our poorest overall game, as far as effort and attention to detail,” Udoka said of the Rockets, who have lost six of eight games. “I didn’t love our physicality. To kind of get punked by a team that’s not known for physicality or punking people… is not a good sign. We had some early success, and maybe it went to guys’ heads.”
Here’s our look at highlights and postgame interviews after Saturday’s late game in Los Angeles, along with reaction by media members and fans. With a three-game road trip complete, Houston now returns home to face the Oklahoma City Thunder (13-6) , with Wednesday’s tipoff set for 7:00 p.m. Central from Toyota Center.
Dec. 2 Rockets-Lakers reaction
Ime Udoka receives his second technical after jawing with LeBron James and is ejected for the first time as the #Rockets head coach.
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) December 3, 2023
Rockets coach Ime Udoka gets ejected from the game after an exchange with LeBron 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/rPX7AvG3Jb
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 3, 2023
Ime Udoka and LeBron James get technical fouls, Udoka's second. Cam Reddish had gotten a T and Eason was furious. Words were exchanged.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) December 3, 2023
Mentioned this at the beginning of the broadcast.
Today @TiagoSplitter told me the first thing he asked Alperen Şengün this summer was "Do you want to be coached hard?" Alpi said YES. Splitter said Alpi has always had talent, just needed structure.
Şengün said it's Splitter who…
— Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) December 3, 2023
Alperen Sengun just tied his career high in 3s with his 3rd of the game. The best 3 point shooting of Sengun career. Sengun never shot with this much confidence from beyond the arch. pic.twitter.com/BLDpLTbyV3
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) December 3, 2023
Nothing in their offense is consistent when they don't play through Sengun, or if Sengun is having an off night.
— Itamar (@Itamar_17_10) December 3, 2023
Jalen just has to be better. First 4-5 mins were great and its just been a disaster since.
Sengun just a bit off but he's working through it.
No one else on the team really capable of stepping up to carry an offensive burden.
Will we ever win a road game?
— JLS IV (@Slotter) December 3, 2023
Jalen Green has 6 turnovers and 4 made FGs as the #Rockets enter the 4th quarter
— Roosh (@RooshWilliams) December 3, 2023
Lots of tunnel vision going on right now. Everyone trying to take it upon themselves to make a play or make a shot. Not making the extra passes we are accustomed to.
— JLS IV (@Slotter) December 3, 2023
Wow… Jabari Smith Jr. straight strips the ball from LeBron James and then gets the dunk on the other end. pic.twitter.com/JREflXVFQh
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) December 3, 2023
Horror show for the #Rockets in Q2. 35-14 LAL advantage that Q and they are down 16 at halftime.
— Chris A. White 🐻 (@fyrebear) December 3, 2023
#Rockets drive and no foul. Lakers drive and foul. That is the game.
— Chris A. White 🐻 (@fyrebear) December 3, 2023
LeBron goes baseline into the 360 LAYUP 🤯
Lakers-Rockets | Live on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/dDpew0TWgp pic.twitter.com/M0b7P0vi6F— NBA (@NBA) December 3, 2023
A phone call needs to be made about the availability of Daniel Gafford. https://t.co/2xGEyoi5VT
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) December 3, 2023
Watching the Lakers is a miserable experience. AD, Lebron, and Austin Reaves flop nonstop.
— Roosh (@RooshWilliams) December 3, 2023
Rockets clear the bench. Whitmore, Holiday, Samuels Jr., Landale and Hinton take over. Sengun finishes with 21-13-5 but was 8 of 25. Challenge was successful, by the way. https://t.co/hR1aB8JmWl
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) December 3, 2023
Jalen Green with two points in the second half and he got those two points 30 seconds into the half
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) December 3, 2023
Alperen Sengun's 24 field goal attempts are a career-high. He's made eight and attempted just two free throws
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) December 3, 2023
Rockets players will absolutely love Ime not backing down to LeBron pic.twitter.com/Bs7bnp740q
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) December 3, 2023
Tari Eason — likely still upset about the earlier altercation — was fired up after the final buzzer had to be held back and escorted to the locker room by #Rockets security.
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) December 3, 2023
Tari Eason was wanting to have a conversation with someone at the end of this game pic.twitter.com/ACM2j3kWDz
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) December 3, 2023
Rockets came out strong in the first quarter but it was downhill from there as they lose 107-97 in LA. The loss is their third straight and drops them to under .500 at 8-9 (10th in the West) on the season. They remain winless on the road at 0-8.
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) December 3, 2023
Tari Eason was fired up after Cam Reddish walked up to him 👀🍿
A lot going on in the Lakers vs. Rockets matchup. pic.twitter.com/yxhh8sVfWZ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 3, 2023
Alperen Sengun's 24 field goal attempts are a career-high. He's made eight and attempted just two free throws
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) December 3, 2023
Lakers clinch at least a split of season series tiebreaker with Rockets.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) December 3, 2023
Rockets will have lost 6 of 8.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) December 3, 2023
Ime Udoka on tonight's game: "Probably our poorest overall game as far as effort and attention to detail. We had some early success and maybe it went to guys' heads."
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) December 3, 2023
Jalen Green can beat anybody to a spot but doesn't have the strength yet to not get bumped off of it if there's a decent enough recovery. That's gonna be a work in progress.
— Rob Kimbell (@RobKSports) December 3, 2023
Ime Udoka on the #Rockets lack of physicality: "To kind of get punked by a team that's not known for physicality or punking people is not a good sign." https://t.co/P5oYisRDux
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) December 3, 2023
Ime Udoka on the double technical with LeBron James:
"We had a conversation and they [the officials] didn't like what they heard."
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) December 3, 2023
Ime'e ejection was so strange cause he didnt raise his voice or was being extra demonstrative he just talked regular.. he mustve said some stuff
— Apathetic (@ftank58) December 3, 2023
Anthony Davis was a FORCE in the Lakers' win against the Rockets 💪
27 PTS / 14 REB / 5 BLK pic.twitter.com/A0Z9Ou4iWp
— NBA (@NBA) December 3, 2023
Coach Udoka was not happy with the Rockets effort.
“To kinda get punked by a team not known for physicality or punking people is not a good sign” pic.twitter.com/pNU5dhqNFj— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) December 3, 2023
#Rockets fall to the Lakers 107-97 @HoustonRockets back in action Wednesday when they host the Thunder at Toyota Center pic.twitter.com/biIERfmh2Y
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) December 3, 2023
