The Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets matchup is sure to spark some sparks. But the matchup many are looking forward to is between Lakers star LeBron James and Rockets swingman Dillon Brooks.
Instead, James’ interactions with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka became the story
“We had some conversations but they didn’t like what they heard,” Udoka said of the incident after the game, via House of Excellence.
Udoka received his second technical foul of the game when an official overheard his interaction with James while he was near the Rockets bench during a timeout. Udoka was ejected in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ eventual 107-97 win with his second technical foul of the game.
There was no love lost after the game, with Udoka simply referring to James as “the player.”
“I didn’t like how physical we were,” Udoka said, singling out the Lakers’ 25-2 run in the second quarter to take a 35-14 advantage. “It’s not a good sign to be punked by a team that’s not known for their physicality or punk people.”
After the first quarter, the Lakers trailed the Rockets 30-25.
They struggled to get the win in the second quarter. The Rockets led 53-47 in the second half. Los Angeles led 93-78 when the referee ejected Udoka.
The victory gave the Lakers a 12-9 record this season. It also extends their recent win-loss pattern to six games. James scored 16 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. After the game, he knew even less than the coach about the content of his interaction with Udoka.
“Thanksgiving,” James said during a LakeShow interview when asked what he and Udoka were talking about. “How we enjoyed Thanksgiving.”
Anthony Davis: LeBron James ‘just trying something’
If Udoka hadn’t been ejected, the game’s best moment might have been James spinning for a layup and falling to the ground with two Rockets defenders draping over him.
That drew attention to the Lakers bench’s reaction.
“His ability continues to amaze me. It’s a crazy layup, it’s a crazy shot. We have the skills so we know it’s that crazy,” Anthony Davis said. “I think at this point in his career, with everything he’s done, he does go out and try some things and see what works. So it’s a good shot.”
“Just trying to play ball, I felt like that was the best way to finish the game,” James said. “It’s nice that I can bring it home, that’s for sure. The fans are in it, the crowd is in it, our bench is in it. Bring us skill. But we’ll take it. We’ll take it It. “Let’s just take that. “
Next up: Lakers vs. Lakers-Suns Part Three
The Lakers next game will be at home against the Phoenix Suns on December 5. The Suns ended a two-game skid with a 116-104 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on December 2. Currently, they have won 8 of their last 9 games.
But the Lakers have played their first two games, one on the road at Footprint Arena in Phoenix. The Lakers also achieved an 8-2 record at home at Cryptocurrency Arena. In terms of winning percentage, this is the fourth-best record in the Western Conference and the fifth-best record in the NBA. However, Phoenix is 7-3 on the road this season.