NBA: Lakers cool off red-hot Rockets in West showdown
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) blocks a shot by Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Bench players Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney-Smith each drained six 3-pointers while scoring 20 points, sparking the Los Angeles Lakers to a 104-98 victory over the visiting Houston Rockets on Monday night.
Vincent matched his season high for treys and Finney-Smith established a season-best for 3-pointers. Luka Doncic added 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds for the Lakers (46-29), who won their second straight game and their third in the past four.
Los Angeles’ LeBron James had 16 points and eight rebounds, and Austin Reaves added 12 points and eight boards.
READ: NBA: Rockets take hot streak into clash with Lakers
Amen Thompson scored 20 points and Dillon Brooks added 16 for the second-place Rockets (49-27), who lead the third-place Denver Nuggets (47-28) by 1 1/2 games and the fourth-place Lakers by 2 1/2 games in the Western Conference race.
Jabari Smith Jr. registered 15 points and 11 rebounds, Alperen Sengun had 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Tari Eason added 13 for Houston, which lost for just the second time in the past 14 games.
The Lakers shot 39.3 percent from the field and were 16 of 46 (34.8 percent) from 3-point range.
LEBRON WITH THE INCREDIBLE BLOCK TO HELP SEAL THE WIN ‼️ pic.twitter.com/jUogxghSXR
— NBA (@NBA) April 1, 2025
The Rockets connected on 41.6 percent of their attempts, including 10 of 32 (31.2 percent) from behind the arc.
Rui Hachimura’s dunk gave Los Angeles a 100-95 lead with 2:06 left to play.
Thompson’s driving basket allowed Houston to move back within three with 1:12 left. Brooks split two free throws with 20.1 seconds remaining, and the Rockets trailed 100-98.
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James made two free throws with 11.1 seconds left and then blocked a shot by Sengun with eight seconds left. Finney-Smith made two free throws with 3.2 seconds left to seal it.
Earlier, Houston used a 11-2 run in the third quarter to hold a 61-56 lead. Brooks culminated that surge by sinking a trey with 8:41 remaining in the period.
The Lakers scored 26 of the next 40 points. Hachimura capped the run with a 3-pointer to give Los Angeles an 82-75 lead with 12.9 seconds left.
Eason’s jumper with under a second to go left the Rockets trailing by five entering the final stanza.
Houston moved within two early in the fourth quarter, but a basket by James gave the Lakers a 93-87 advantage with 7:26 remaining.
The score was tied at 48 at halftime. Doncic led all scorers with 15 at the break.
