Rockets 109 vs 140 Lakers summary, stats, scores and highlights | NBA regular season 2025
This was the play that should ease the minds of the fans in LA who saw LeBron grimace and head to the bench in the third quarter. He wasn't on the floor. He was on the bench when Reaves pulled a little hesitation move and got fouled after making the lay up. LeBron jumped out of his seat and dapped up his teammate. LeBron had his left thigh wrapped after going to the bench, but it didn't seem to be bothering him too much.
The Lakers were up by 20 in the first half and never looked back. They cruised to the blowout win and secured the three seed in the West. If the season ended today that would set up a mouthwatering match up with the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs, but there is still one more day before the end of the regular season.
Austin Reaves would be a second option on almost every other team in the league, but Luka, LeBron and the Lakers have the luxury of having him as their third scoring option and that makes life easier for everyone on the court. He's had some monster games recently and had 23 against the Rockets on Friday night.
The Los Angeles Lakers came into Friday night knowing they would need a win over the Houston Rockets to secure the three seed in the Western Conference. Luka Doncic put up 39 points in the blow out win against a shorthanded Rockets team.
With the Rockets already having secured second place in the West, coach Ime Udoka sat a handful of stars and that made things a little easier for the Lakers. LeBron came out intent on getting ahead early on, and laid the foundation with this one handed alley oop finisih. He would tweak something in the third quarter and exit the game for the rest of the night, but it didn't look too serious after seeing him celebrate a few Austin Reaves plays on the sideline in the fourth quarter.
IT'S ALL OVER!!!
The Lakers blow out an undermanned Rockets team that rested a handful of stars. With the win, LA wraps up the three seed in the West.
Knecht to the rack and he slams it home for the exclamation mark to this game.
Jemison with the offensive rebound and put back down low.
Williams to the line after the foul on Knecht and he hits one of two FTs.
Knecht from long range and he connects on the long ball!
Bronny steps into a three ball and this crowd lets the biggest roar of the night go!
Bronny finds Milton cutting to the basket for the lay up.
Whitmore in the corner and he drills the three ball!
Timeout Lakers with 3:14 to go the 4th quarter.
Whitmore throws it down from the baseline
Finney-Smith in the corner and he drills his sixth three ball of the night!!
Hachimura on a mid range jumper on the fader from the baseline.
Roddy down the lane and he hang it high off the glass.
Hachimura spinning to the dish off the spin and he lays it up off the glass.
Holiday to the rack and he gets the hoop and the harm. FT is good after the foul on Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt fakes the handoff and takes it to the cup for the jam
Roddy up top for Dante on the alley oop on the baseline!
Reaves steps back and hits it from the elbow off the crossover.
Finney-Smith steps into a three from the top of the key!
Roddy to the line after the foul on Vanderbilt and he hits both FTs.
Sheppard with the three ball and he strings it!
Reaves with the hesitation and take to the rack and he lays it up with the foul on Dante. FT is good and he's got 21.
Hachimura off the dribble and he pulls up in the lane for the mid range jumper.
Reaves takes the defender to the bucket and lays it up off the glass.
Dante wide open down low and he slams it home.
Roddy finger rolls it down the lane for the first bucket of the 4th.
WE ARE HEADING TO THE FINAL QUARTER HERE FROM LOS ANGELES.
Luka was fouled on the three pointer by Williams and he hits two of three FTs .
Holiday over the top and Dante was there with the alley oop.
Doncic on the step back on the baseline and he drops it! He's got 37 already!!
Luka steps into a three ball and he drills it from the wing!
Whitmore with the hot hand and he's got back to back threes!
Finney-Smith strings a three ball off the dish from Luka!
Whitmore steps into a thee ball and he's got five of those tonight.
Dante with the offensive rebound and put back down low.
Roddy sends Luka to the line and he hits one of two FTs.
Timeout Rockets with 2:43 to go in the 3rd quarter.
Doncic to the line after the foul on Landale and he misses both for the second time tonight.
Luka strolls into the lane and he puts it up and in off the push shot.
Landale on the offensive rebound and put back off the Whitmore missed lay up.
Reaves picks off Whitmore and takes it all the way for the slam!
Luka pulls the trigger on a deep three ball and it's raining triples in LA all of the sudden!
Whitmore with another one, this time from the top of the key!!
Finney-Smith answers back with a triple in the corner off the dish from Doncic.
Whitmore from the corner and he strings the three ball!
Hachimura to the line after the foul on Landale and he hits one of two FTs.
LeBron pulled up and had a grimace on his face before the timeout and went to the bench where they are wrapping his left thigh.
That will be something to monitor over the course of the game.
Hachimura sends Green to the line and he hits one of two FTs.
Hachimura goes straight to the cup and lays it up and in off the dish from LeBron.
James hangs it up for Hayes who hammers it home on the alley oop.
Landale spots up from three point range and the big man sinks the deep ball!
Hayes to the line and he hits one of two after the foul on Whitmore.
Green finds Sheppard at the top of the key for a three ball!
Luka wiggles his way to the lane and he hits the push shot.
Williams to the cup and he lays it up at the iron.
Whitmore with a short jumper in the lane to start off the second half.
WE ARE BACK IN LA FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!
How great must it be for LeBron and Luka to have Reaves as their third scoring option. He's been putting up 30 point games like they are nothing lately and he's on track again with 14.
Luka has 24, 6 and 5 at half and is on the way to a triple double if coach Redick gives him the minutes.
The Houston Rockets are sitting four of their top players, and the Lakers smelled blood from the very start. LeBron got his night started off on the right foot with this one handed alley oop slam. LeBron has 14 and 6 in the first half, and if this scoreline keeps up he might be heading to the bench in no time.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER WITH THE LAKERS UP BIG OVER THE SHORT HANDED ROCKETS!!!
Hachimura answers back with a three ball off the find from Reaves.
Williams pulls up from the wing and he strings a three ball!
Doncic to the line after the foul on Sheppard and he hits both FTs.
Sheppard on the baseline and he lays it up and in off the reverse.
LeBron running the break and he slips it to Hachimura for the slam.
Luka backs down into the lane, picks up his dribble and hits the fader. He's got 22 on the night.
Hachimura to the line after the foul on Sheppard and he hits both FTs.
Whitmore misses the three ball and Williams is there for the tip in.
Luka spins to the bucket, takes a bump from Landale and finishes at the bucket.
Whitmore on the give and go and he lays it up, and gets the foul! FT is good after the foul on Hayes.
Green comes out of the timeout and floats one up and in from te paint.
Luka kicks it out to Finney-Smith who drills the three ball from the wing and the Rockets need a timeout with 4:53 to go in the 2nd quarter.
Luka on the step back and he drops it from the wing!!!
LeBron in the post and he spins to the cup, lays it up and in and gets the foul! FT is good.
Reaves to the cup and he lays it up and it. He's got 14 on the night.
Sheppard sinks the three ball from the wing and he's got two on the night.
Luka draws the defense and dumps it down to Hayes for the slam down low.
James running the floor and he finds Vanderbilt on the no look dime for the jam!
Reaves finds LeBron on the back door and he slams it home!
Holiday with another deep ball, this one off the dribble for the top of the key!
Holiday pulls up from the wing and he drills the three to break up a 16-3 run!
LeBron with the kick out to Goodwin and he drills the three ball in the corner.
Landale to the line after the foul on LeBron and he hits one of two FTs.
Reaves pulls the trigger from downtown and he's got a couple of deep balls to start his night.
Timeout Houston with 10:12 to go.
Holiday into the lane and he floats it up and in over the defense.
LeBron puts his head down and gets to the bucket for the lay up.
Reaves with the penetration and he finds Vanderbilt for a wide open lay up.
Reaves ends the first quarter with a step back three ball that goes off the glass from the wing and the Lakes lead by 6!!!
Luka on the step back and he drills the three ball!! He's got 15 in the first half!
Roddy banks in the three ball off the feed from Green!
LeBron dumps it off to Vanderbilt down low for the jam!
Williams into the lane and he gets the left handed floater to fall.
Doncic to the line after the foul on Holiday and he hits both FTs.
Whitemore's got 10 of his own after pulling up from long range!
TImeout Rockets with 2:58 to go in the 1st quarter.
Doncic with he rebound on one end and he takes it coast to coast for the lay up. He's got 10 already.
Finney-Smith on the board for the first time with a three ball from the corner!
Reaves takes Landale to the cup and he lays it up and in, with the foul! FT is good.
Landale down low off the feed from Green and he finishes around the rim.
Luka from the top of the key and he sinks the step back jumper.
Williams goes into the body of Vincent and lays it up and in over him.
Luka off the dribble and he takes his defender to the hoop, gets the bucket and the foul on Green! FT is good.
Green was left wide open off the Whitmore offensive board and he strings the three ball!
LeBron hits a deep two from the wing out of the timeout.
Whitmore on the slam off the steal and the Lakes nee a timeout after that explosive jam down the middle of the paint!
Timeout Rockets with 7:13 to go in the first quarter.
Whitmore steps back and hits the deep two over Finney-Smith.
Hayes with the offensive board and that ends up in Reaves' hands for the three ball on the wing.
Luka dribbles into traffic and he puts it up and in with bodies all around.
Green with five straight points after stepping back and hitting the top of the key three over Hayes.
Hayes sends Green to the line and he hits both FTs.
Green into the paint and he puts it up and in from under the cup.
James into the paint and he lobs it up this time for Hayes on the alley oop.
LeBron answers back with a three ball of his own and he's got the first five LA points.
Whitemore from the corner and he drops the three ball!
Doncic flings it over his shoulder and LeBron slams it home with one hand!
Sheppard knocks down a three ball to start the night after leading the Rockets with 20 last game.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM HOUSTON!!!
Houston takes the show on the road
It wasn't so long ago that Houston fans were nowhere to be found during road games. Now the Rockets faithful are showing out on the road. Tonight in LA they have some fans in the stands hoping this short handed squad can beat the Lakers.
LA's starting five
This is the Lakers strong starting five. They used this same squad against the OKC Thunder and the Mavs in the last two games, and if Rui and the rest of the game get going early, it's trouble for their opponents. It's LeBron, Luka, Reaves, Rui and Hayes to starting things off in LA.
Luka’s long wait worth it
It was a long time coming for Luka Doncic. After getting his heart broken by the only team he knows and only team he wanted to play for, he finally returned two months later. It was a chance to close a chapter, get some closure, feel the love of the Dallas fans. It was emotional. It was spectacular. It was one we will remember forever. He scored 45 points, and all the while flipped the page on the Mavericks and can now start his new chapter in LA.
Resting Rockets
With the two seed locked up, Houston can rest some of their guys before heading into the playoffs. These games among top teams are not only a taxing, but these teams could play each other in the playoffs. You don’t want to be giving up too much strategy or schemes in a meaningless game. For that, Ime Udoka is giving some of his guys a rest. Sengun is not playing today due to personal reasons. Fred Van Vleet is injured and Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks have been given the night off to rest. This is a series we could see in the second round should the Lakers get the three seed and both Houston and LA win their opening round series.
NBA Standings
Taking a look at the standings in the Western Conference, we see the Thunder way ahead of the rest of the pack. They are 14 games in front of the Rockets who sit in second place. The Rockets are safe with the second seed, three games ahead of the Lakers in third place. LA had a one game lead on the Nuggets and Clippers who are in 4th and 5th place. The top four teams in the Conference get home court in the first round. Number 5 and 6 are in the playoffs, but 7-10 are in the Play-In. Coming into the night, the Grizzlies an the T’Wolves are in the 7 and 8 spot, but they still have a chance at a playoff spot in the final days of the regular season.
Star watch: Rockets
Who is responsible for this Rockets resurgence? It’s been a long time coming, and a lot of years of suffering. Now all of those young, high draft picks are blossoming. No one more than Jalen Green who is the leading scorer with 21.4 points a night. He has become the star of the Rocket City but Alperen Sengun has been incredible posting 19.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game but he is out tonight. There are 7 different players averaging double digits, so anyone can have a night. Tonight look out for Green who could be a match up nightmare for the Lakers.
Star watch: Lakers
It’s game 80. LeBron is 40. When much of the league is wearing down, or shutting down to get ready for the playoff, LeBron is hitting full stride. He is listed as a game time decision, but that means he is playing despite his groin not being at 100%. LeBron is always there for the big moments, and this is a big moment. The Lakers needed their last game against Dallas, and LeBron came through in the clutch to lead LA to the win. He’s averaging 24.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 8.2 assists this season and deserves to be in the MVP conversation, even though he may not win. With Luka in the picture, he has had some of the weight lifted off his shoulders which is going to help him and LA for a deep playoff push.
Last game Rockets
The Rockets were in LA for their second of a three game road trip. After beating the Golden State Warriors, they came to Crypto.com Arena and took on the red hot Clippers. LAC led for almost the entire way, and rattled off their sixth straight win. Reed Sheppard led the way for the Rockets with 20 points and Tari Eason had 17, but it was the bench that delivered the win. Jeff Green had 19, and Aaron Holiday had 16. That was enough to nullify James Harden’s 35 points and Ivica Zubac’s 20 and 10 rebounds. The Clips took a double digit lead before the half, and kept it until the end of the game.
Last game: Lakers
The Lakers were in Dallas on Wednesday and it was the Luka Doncic show from American Airlines Center. Luka made his homecoming after getting traded from Dallas in February, and reminded his old fans just how good he can be and how easy he can score. The Slovenian dropped 31 points in the first half but the Lakers had to go deep into the 4th quarter to edge out the Mavericks. LeBron James took over with the game on the line and LA went on a 14-4 run to win 112-97. Luka ended the night with 45 points in an emotion return, and LeBron had 13 of his 27 in the final 12 minutes.
We are live from LA
Hello everyone and welcome to Crypro.com Arena where the Lakers are back home after a big game two nights ago in Dallas. Luka Doncic exacted revenged against his old team as the Lakers edged out the Mavericks from American Airlines Center.They were in LA last game and haven’t had to travel for tonight’s game, but Houston loss to resurgent Clippers thanks to a big night from James Harden. The Rockets have their second seed wrapped up but will be looking to keep the momentum going into the playoffs while the Lakers need this win to stay in third place in the West.
Rockets vs. Lakers live
Two of the top teams in the Western Conference face off tonight in the home finale from Los Angeles. One team has the second seed locked up while the other team is looking to secure the three seed in the final couple games of the season. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers take on Jalen Green and the Houston Rockets from Crypto.com Arena. AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s game from LA.