Kevin Porter Jr. Leads Houston Rockets to Win Over Undermanned Los Angeles Lakers

• The Houston Rockets recorded their second upset win in a row
• They defeated the Lakers, who played without Anthony Davis
• The Rockets survived a late rally by the Lakers on Wednesday

The Houston Rockets produced another shocking result, defeating the surging Los Angeles Lakers 114-110 on Wednesday.

Seven players scored in double figures for the Rockets, who defeated the Boston Celtics in their last game.

They have now improved to 17-52 for the season.

Kevin Porter Jr. led all scorers with 27 points. He shot 11 of 16 from the field, including 2 of 5 from beyond the arc. Porter finished with nine rebounds, six assists, and one steal, per ESPN.

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Jabari Smith Jr. and Kenyon Martin Jr. scored 18 and 16 points respectively. Alperen Sengun and Jaesean Tate also contributed, each scoring 13 points.

Lakers stage late rally

Porter was disappointed that the Rockets nearly collapsed late in the fourth quarter. Houston was up by eight points with 7.2 seconds to go when Malik Beasley hit a three to cut the Rockets’ lead to 114-109.

The Rockets then turned the ball over in the following possession, giving the Lakers a lifeline. Austin Reaves was then fouled with 0.3 seconds remaining. It was a disastrous move by the Rockets, as the foul was later ruled a flagrant-1 by the referees.

Reaves couldn’t make it a one-possession game though, as he split his free throws, giving the win to Houston.

Davis rested in Rockets clash

It was a disappointing defeat for the Lakers, who were short-handed in this contest. They opted to rest Anthony Davis, as this was the second game of a back-to-back. Doctors ordered Davis not to play in such games as he is coming off a right foot injury.

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The move backfired as the Rockets sustained the momentum of Monday’s win against Boston.

They outscored the Lakers 31-19 in the first quarter. The Rockets continued their strong play in the second quarter, with Houston building a 62-48 lead at the break. Porter was on fire during that period, scoring 18 points before half-time.

Lakers trounce Pelicans

Sports Brief previously reported on the Lakers' win over the Pelicans by 123 to 108.

Davis scored 35 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to lead Los Angeles to the victory.

The Lakers were red-hot in the first half, knocking down a record 15 3-pointers.