On the morning of January 30, Beijing time, the Rockets hosted the Lakers. This game is very important for the Rockets, as the Lakers are currently ranked 9th in the West and are direct competitors to the Rockets for playoff qualification. In this game, Jabari Smith Jr. ushered in a comeback and played well, the Rockets played well, leading the Lakers by up to 30 points, and Green scored consecutive points in the final moments to stabilize the situation, and the Rockets beat the Lakers 135-119.
In this game, the Rockets were on fire as soon as they came up, and Jalen Green scored consecutive points to give the Rockets a good start. Next, both sides hit high offensive shots. Neither Shin Kyung nor Thick Eyebrow can restrain each other. The turning point of the game came late in the first quarter, when Whitmore and Amen Thompson came off the bench with a dynamic lineup, Whitmore added three consecutive dunks and a three-pointer to score 12 points in four minutes to help the Rockets lead the Lakers 42-31.
At the start of the second quarter, Dillon scored on a turnaround jumper. But then a brainless push behind the back. But Vanderbilt was immediately ejected. The Rockets' three-point shooting percentage is a bit low. James bulldozer-style offensive layup, and Jeff Green responded with a 2+1. Whitmore made fouls on offense and played too smart! Whitmore drew a foul on James and scored on another basket. The Rockets have a 16-point lead at 56:40! After a timeout, James made a foul and made both free throws. The Rockets' Green and Jay Jr. hit back-to-back 3-pointers. In the ensuing game, the two sides played a close game, and the Lakers chased the difference back to 13 points before halftime, but Dillon's two three-pointers gave the Rockets a 78-60 lead at halftime.
As soon as the third quarter came up, Shen Jing separated James by one. Green hit a three-pointer right after. Dillon hit a mid-range shot. The Rockets' lead is 25 points. Then, the Rockets played more relaxed, and the margin continued to widen. With a shot from the counter-attack, the Rockets led by 30 points. Xiao Jia hit an efficient shot, and Shen Jing hit two free throws and one hit. Tate missed consecutive baskets, and it was time to switch, and the offense degraded significantly. Sure enough, Whitmore came up with a fast-break foul and hit both free throws to score his 18th point. Amen Thompson and Shin Kyung missed back-to-back mistakes, and Udoka called a timeout. Subsequently, the Rockets were scoreless for several consecutive rounds, and Amen Thompson made too many turnovers. The Lakers narrowed the gap to 21 points. Xiao Jia hit the shot. Jalen Green chased down and hit a three-pointer. At the end of the third quarter, the Rockets led 108-84.
In the fourth quarter, the Lakers came up with a three-pointer, followed by a violent dunk, and the Rockets were not allowed, but Green broke through and scored a layup. Shin Kyung scored on James' top layup. Dillon hit a mid-range shot. The margin widened to 25 points. The Lakers cut the deficit to 20 points again, and Udoka called a timeout. Dillon hit a long-range shot to help the Rockets stop the bleeding. However, the Rockets' joint defense was too poor, and the Lakers were continuously converted into conversions, and the difference narrowed to 16 points. The Lakers were whistled for two free throws for a brainless foul, but Lao Zhan didn't hit it. Rockets VanVleet had another offensive foul. However, the Rockets finally scored. However, Shen Jing violated the law by walking. James hit a three-pointer to put the deficit to 10 points. VanVleet makes a limit save and Green draws a foul. The Rockets stretched the margin to 13 points. Green scored on another layup.