Luka Doncic scored 36 points as the in-form Los Angeles Lakers powered to their sixth straight victory with a 100-92 defeat of the Houston Rockets on Monday.
A crucial showdown between the third and fourth-ranked Western Conference teams ended with the Lakers pulling away in the final minute of the fourth quarter to claim an impressive win on the road.
kAm%96 G:4E@CJ 8:G6D E96 {2<6CD Wcb\adX 2 G2=F23=6 4FD9:@? @G6C E96 #@4<6ED Wc`\aeX 2D E96J ;@DE=6 7@C A@DED62D@? A@D:E:@?D :? E96 (6DE]k^Am
kAms@?4:4 H2D @?46 282:? :?DECF>6?E2= :? 5C288:?8 E96 {2<6CD @G6C E96 =:?6 H9:=6 2 92C5\?@D65 5676?D:G6 677@CE <6AE E96 #@4<6EDV D4@C:?8 :? 4964<]k^Am
kAm{6qC@? y2>6D 7:?:D965 H:E9 `g A@:?ED 2?5 pFDE:? #62G6D `d H9:=6 y232C: $>:E9 yC] =65 w@FDE@?VD D4@C:?8 H:E9 aa A@:?ED]k^Am
kAmQ(6 96=5 E96> E@ ha A@:?ED[ H9:49 7@C E9:D E62> :D AC6EEJ 2H6D@>6] (6 5:5 2 8C62E ;@3 5676?D:G6=J[Q s@?4:4 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ(6 4@F=5 92G6 5@?6 36EE6C[ 3FE 2== E92E >2EE6CD :D E92E H6 8@E E96 H:?] (6VG6 8@E E@ <66A E9:D 8@:?8]Qk^Am
kAm%96 $2? p?E@?:@ $AFCD C6=:65 @? 2?@E96C 32=2?465 @776?D:G6 5:DA=2J E@ 6586 E96 {@D p?86=6D r=:AA6CD ``h\``d 2?5 46>6?E E96:C 8C:A @? D64@?5 A=246 :? E96 (6DE]k^Am
kAm$E6A9@? r2DE=6 =65 E96 $AFCD D4@C6CD H:E9 ab A@:?ED H9:=6 ':4E@C (6>32?J2>2 925 a` A@:?ED[ `b C63@F?5D 2?5 7@FC 3=@4<D :? 2?@E96C 5@>:?2?E 2==\C@F?5 5:DA=2J]k^Am
kAm$2? p?E@?:@ 92G6 ?@H H@? `g @7 E96:C =2DE a_ 82>6D 2?5 4=2H65 E96:C H2J @FE @7 2 `c\A@:?E 567:4:E :? E96 7:CDE BF2CE6C E@ E2<6 E96 H:?]k^Am
kAmQ%96J AFD965 FD :? E96 7:CDE BF2CE6C 2?5 D@>6E:>6D E96 32D<6E32== :D ?@E H@C<:?8[Q (6>32?J2>2 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ$@ H6 925 E@ 86E ?2DEJ 2 =:EE=6 3:E]Qk^Am
kAm$2? p?E@?:@ :>AC@G65 E@ d_\`g 2?5 2C6 7:C>=J :? D:89E @7 E96 ~<=29@>2 r:EJ %9F?56C Wdb\`dX 2E E96 E@A @7 E96 DE2?5:?8D]k^Am
kAm%96 q@DE@? r6=E:4D >2:?E2:?65 E96:C AFCDF:E @7 E96 s6EC@:E !:DE@?D 2E E96 E@A @7 E96 t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 H:E9 2 `a_\``a 56762E @7 E96 G:D:E:?8 !9@6?:I $F?D]k^Am
kAmp 82>6 E92E F?7@=565 2D 2 9:89\D4@C:?8 A6CD@?2= 5F6= 36EH66? q@DE@?VD y2J=6? qC@H? 2?5 !9@6?:IVD s6G:? q@@<6C D2H 3@E9 >6? D4@C6 c` A@:?ED 2?5 c_ A@:?ED C6DA64E:G6=J 367@C6 E96 r6=E:4D 7:?2==J 4=:?4965 G:4E@CJ]k^Am
kAmqC@H? H2D 324<65 3J a` A@:?ED 2A:646 7C@> y2JD@? %2EF> 2?5 s6CC:4< (9:E6 H9:=6 !2JE@? !C:E492C5 @?46 282:? 56>@?DEC2E65 9:D D92CA\D9@@E:?8 E2=6?E 7C@> E96 36?49 H:E9 `h A@:?ED[ `d @7 E96> 4@>:?8 7C@> E9C66\A@:?E6CD]k^Am
kAmq@DE@?VD D64@?5 DEC2:89E G:4E@CJ =67E E96> @? cd\ab[ E9C66\2?5\92=7 82>6D 369:?5 =6256CD s6EC@:E Wcg\`hX]k^Am
kAm!9@6?:I D=:AA65 E@ bh\ah 2?5 2C6 D6G6?E9 :? E96 (6DE6C? r@?76C6?46[ ;FDE @FED:56 E96 2FE@>2E:4 A=2J@77 A=246D]k^Am
kAmC4H^ADEk^Am
