Rockets wrap up trip with dominant Christmas win over Lakers
Amen Thompson scored 26 points and Kevin Durant added 25 as the visiting Houston Rockets led wire-to-wire in a 119-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in a Christmas Day matchup on Thursday.
Jabari Smith Jr. had 16 points for Houston, which finished its six-game road trip with a 2-4 record. Alperen Sengun added 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard finished with 13 points apiece. Thompson added seven rebounds and five assists.
Luka Doncic led Los Angeles with 25 points, while LeBron James added 18. Austin Reaves scored 12 before exiting the game at halftime with left calf soreness, Jarred Vanderbilt added 11, and Deandre Ayton had 10.
The Lakers have dropped three straight games for the first time this season. Los Angeles was outrebounded 48-25 and lost for the sixth time in its last 10 games.
Houston shot 62.5% from the field in the opening quarter and led 37-25 at the end of the period. Doncic played the entire first quarter and had four points and four turnovers.
Doncic and Vanderbilt hit back-to-back 3-pointers to pull the Lakers within 48-44 with 4:16 left in the second quarter, but Houston answered and held a 63-53 advantage at the half.
Durant and Thompson scored 16 points apiece in the first half for the Rockets. Doncic had 15 points to lead the Lakers.
Houston led by double digits throughout the third quarter and moved ahead 81-58 on Smith's tip-in with 5:52 left in the period. The Rockets led 92-74 at the end of the quarter.
James entered the contest as the NBA's career leader in Christmas games played (19) and points scored on the holiday (507). His dunk cut the deficit to 97-80 with 8:16 left in the contest.
Ayton's layup capped a 9-2 run and pulled the Lakers within 104-89 with 5:07 left. Houston scored the next nine points to help seal the victory.
Houston forward Dorian Finney-Smith made his season debut following offseason ankle surgery and went scoreless in 13 minutes off the bench against his former team.