Before this game, two weird things happened.
On trade deadline day, the Rockets caught everybody off guard by trading away their big man Clint Capela to Atlanta Hawks, in what was the largest deal in the NBA since 2000, as the deal involved four NBA teams and 12 players, including him. The second weird thing was that the Rockets decided not to replace Capela with another big man, instead, they went for small ball player Robert Covington and Jordan Bell from Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors respectively.
Considering the Los Angeles Lakers’ height and how they outmuscled the San Antonio Spurs in their last home outing, comparatively bigger than Rockets, expectations were that the Showtime were going to bully Mike D’Antoni’s men at Staples Center. Though Lakers did win the fight inside the paint, out-rebounding the Rockets with 38-37, it was just marginal. Not enough to swing the pedal, and the visitors, for all the talk of small players, won the battle against the Lakers with a 121-111 win.
Mike D’Antoni on the addition of Robert Covington (@Holla_At_Rob33): “He’ll be a good perimeter player that fits right into what we do and adds more shooting and more defense. I’m excited to have Robert.” #Rockets
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) February 6, 2020
Robert Covington didn’t start, but he made a significant contribution from the bench. He made two decisive late 3-pointers which helped swing the match for the Rockets. He ended the game with 14 points and 8 rebounds, to go with 2 steals and 2 blocks.
But it was Russell Westbrook’s game-high efforts that undid the Lakers. The 2016-17 NBA MVP went berserk with his 41 point show at the Staples, tallying 8 rebounds and five assists to add to the efforts. Westbrook’s 36th point in the game saw him joining LeBron James and Oscar Robertson as only the third player in the NBA with 20,000 points, 7,000 rebounds and 6,000 assists.
James Harden could manage just 14 points, but P. J. Tucker once again shone at the Center. Rockets are 10-1 when Tucker is the team’s starting center.
Anthony Davis made the biggest impact for the Lakers, recording 32 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 steals. LeBron James had 18 points, 15 assists, and nine rebounds, while the team’s other big men, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, combined only for 20 minutes and nine points.
Rajon Rondo and Kyle Kuzma both had a game to forget, with the former finishing with a game-low 20% conversion from the field. Kuzma was just as terrible, managing 2-8 from the field.
Rockets recorded their fourth straight win and improved their season record to 33-18. Lakers, meanwhile, are now just two and a half games above second-placed Los Angeles Clippers.
