The Los Angeles Lakers held off the Houston Rockets in a hard-fought 104-98 victory on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Luka Doncic led Los Angeles with 20 points and nine assists, while Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney-Smith each added 20 points, hitting a combined 12 three-pointers.
LeBron James contributed 16 points and eight rebounds as the Lakers strengthened their grip on fourth place in the Western Conference standings.
Houston, which had won 12 of its last 14 games, struggled offensively, with Jalen Green managing just nine points on 4-of-13 shooting.
Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 20 points, while Dillon Brooks added 16, but their late-game push fell short.
The Lakers’ defensive effort proved crucial, with James delivering a key block on Alperen Sengun in the final moments to secure the win.
Houston had trimmed the deficit to 100-98 after Brooks split a pair of free throws with 20.1 seconds left, but Los Angeles retained possession after a timeout.
James then knocked down two free throws with 11.1 seconds remaining, extending the Lakers’ lead before making his game-sealing defensive play.
The Rockets struggled from deep, hitting only 10-of-32 attempts from beyond the arc, while Los Angeles made 16 three-pointers on 34.8% shooting.
Los Angeles improved to 46-29, maintaining a solid position in the Western Conference playoff race, while Houston fell to 49-27, still holding onto second place.
Both teams played a tightly contested game, with neither squad leading by more than eight points throughout the night.
Houston’s offense never found its rhythm, with Sengun finishing with just 14 points and VanVleet managing only seven on 2-of-14 shooting.
Finney-Smith’s 20 points marked his highest-scoring game since joining Los Angeles, and Vincent’s six three-pointers helped spread the floor.
After falling behind early in the fourth quarter, the Lakers regained control and held off Houston’s comeback attempts with clutch free throws and timely defense.
With just a few games left in the regular season, Los Angeles is looking to solidify home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
Houston, meanwhile, remains in second place in the West but will need a stronger offensive showing to maintain its standing down the stretch.
