Lakers win third straight in scare against Rockets without LeBron, AD

The Los Angeles Lakers won their third straight game on Wednesday night as they survived a late game effort against the Houston Rockets, 124-122.

On the night where their 2020 NBA Championship banner was raised in the rafters in front of Laker fans in Staples Center, the Lakers were once again without LeBron James, who missed his sixth game in a row. Anthony Davis also missed the game due to soreness in his groin.

The Lakers found themselves in an all-out battle against the misfit Rockets down to the final buzzer. Kyle Kuzma hit a layup with 6.9 seconds remaining in the fourth to clinch the game for Los Angeles. Wesley Matthews stole the ball from Rockets’ Kelly Olynk with 0.9 seconds remaining on the final possession.

Talen Horton-Tucker led the way for the Lakers with 23 points and 10 assists on 9-of-16 shooting. THT, who is fresh off hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer in Tuesday's victory over the Knicks, continues to impress as a versatile scorer and playmaker with James and Dennis Schroder out of the lineup. Kyle Kuzma, who hit the go-ahead bucket, scored 19 points, 10 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists on 8-of-12 shooting in 32 minutes off the bench. Andre Drummond had yet another productive, Andre Drummond-like performance for the second night in a row with 20 points and 10 rebounds. https://twitter.com/LeBron_Wire/status/1392855041392926725?s=20

Following their third straight victory, the Lakers remain as the 7-seed in the Western Conference as they sit one game behind the Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers will look to gain some ground in the standings to avoid the play-in tournament on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers as LeBron James hopes to make his return to the court.

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