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The rebuilding Houston Rockets will travel to Staples Center to take on the LA Lakers on Wednesday night. The Lakers have won both previous encounters between the two sides this season.
Match Details
Fixture: Houston Rockets vs LA Lakers | NBA Season 2020-21
Date & Time: Wednesday, May 12th, 10:30 PM ET (Thursday, 8 AM IST)
Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Houston Rockets Preview
The Houston Rockets continue to be the worst team in the NBA on the back of their six-game losing run. The Rockets have a 16-53 record so far and they're the only franchise in the league that has won fewer than 20 games this season.
The Houston Rockets have had a long list of injuries all year and the same will be the case against the LA Lakers. As many as eight players have already been ruled out, including promising youngster Kevin Porter Jr., who may be done for the season with an ankle injury. Center Christian Wood is in line to make a return, though.
DJ Augustin has been the lead ball-handler for the Houston Rockets of late. He had 21 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. Rookie Kenyon Martin Jr. has also been lighting it up recently. Martin Jr. has averaged 22.8 points, nine rebounds and 4.8 assists in the last four games.
Key Player - Kelly Olynyk
Kelly Olynyk is having the best scoring run of his career with the Houston Rockets, averaging 18.9 points per game on 56.1% shooting in 24 appearances for the franchise. Olynyk's numbers have only gone up recently, with him managing 20.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.9 steals in the last 10 outings. He'll be hoping to give the LA Lakers defenders a tough time with his scoring versatility.
Houston Rockets Predicted Lineup
G DJ Augustin, G Jae'Sean Tate, F Kenyon Martin Jr., F Kelly Olynyk, C Christian Wood
LA Lakers Preview
The LA Lakers pulled off a hard-fought win in overtime against the New York Knicks last night to improve to 39-30 for the season. They're still seeded 7th in the West and practically need to win each of their three remaining fixtures to avoid the play-in tournament.
The LA Lakers will receive a huge injury boost with LeBron James expected to return to the lineup against the Houston Rockets. In comparison, Anthony Davis might be forced to sit out with a groin injury. Davis did mention after the game against New York that he'll try to play on Wednesday, but he's better off resting, especially against the team with the worst record in the league.
Kyle Kuzma bounced back from his disappointing outing against Portland with a 23-point performance last night. Kuzma has now scored 20 or more points in three of his last five appearances. Andre Drummond also put in a crucial display for the LA Lakers against the Knicks, finishing with 16 points and 18 rebounds.
Key Player - LeBron James
LeBron James will get into the thick of things immediately after returning from a five-game absence. He will be the main facilitator for the LA Lakers and potentially the main scorer, too, if Anthony Davis misses out. King James was instrumental in leading the Lakers to a win in their most recent encounter against the Houston Rockets. He recorded 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists in that game.
LA Lakers Predicted Lineup
G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G Wesley Matthews, F LeBron James, F Kyle Kuzma, C Andre Drummond
Rockets vs Lakers Match Prediction
The Houston Rockets have generally been a high-scoring team despite their string of losses, but that's unlikely to be the case against the LA Lakers' defense. Interestingly, offense has been the Purple and Gold's weakest suit in the last few weeks, but LeBron James' return should change that. Expect Frank Vogel's men to pick up a comprehensive victory in this matchup.
Where to watch Rockets vs Lakers?
Local coverage of this game will be available on AT&T SportsNet Southwest and Spectrum SportsNet. You can also live stream the same on the NBA League Pass.
Guess the Lakers players!
