ORLANDO, Fla. _ It wasn't the three-point shooting contest one might have expected from a game against the Houston Rockets, but Houston got every other kind of shot they wanted.
The team maligned for its defense _ led by a coach often accused of not caring enough about defense _ held the Lakers below 100 points.
For the second straight playoff series, the Lakers dropped Game 1. This time, they lost to the Rockets, 112-97, who were fueled by 36 points from James Harden who only needed to play 34 minutes, 24 by Russell Westbrook, 23 by Eric Gordon and a disruptive defensive performance by P.J. Tucker. The Lakers, meanwhile, got 20 points from LeBron James and 25 from Anthony Davis, while Alex Caruso added 14.
The Lakers also lost Game 1 of their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers, only to win the next four games to advance to this round. The Rockets, meanwhile, needed seven games to finally win four against their first-round opponent, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The first round served as a cautionary tale for the Lakers. Vogel worried about their mental preparedness compared to that of a team who had been playing for the six days since the Lakers' last game.
The Lakers' start inspired confidence. They scored a quick seven points before the Rockets even scored. James Harden was responsible for 10 of the Rockets' next 12 points, helping Houston tie the game at 12.
Both teams made 11 of their 20 first-quarter shots, shooting 55% in the first quarter. The only difference was that the Rockets made one more three-pointer than the Lakers had.
There were some signs from the beginning that this might be a tough night for the Lakers. There were Lakers players who had slow starts, but stopping Harden without fouling him became an even bigger problem. Harden scored 12 points in the first quarter and shot three free throws. He scored 13 points in the second quarter and shot eight free throws.
James had some highlight-reel moments in the first half. With 8:32 left in the second quarter, he ran toward the basket and as he elevated for a dunk, Rockets guard Russell Westbrook tried to get in front of him. Westbrook simply became a victim of the moment. Rob Pelinka patted the top of his head from where he sat, in the distanced spectator seats where more than a dozen family members and guests of the Lakers sat.
The Lakers tied the game at 52 with 3:21 left in the second quarter on a floater from Rajon Rondo, playing in his first game since March 10. But at halftime they trailed 63-55, still unable to find a sustainable answer to Harden.
Furthermore, the Rockets had figured out how to slow the Lakers' fast-break offense.
In exchange for James dunking on his teammate in the first quarter, Harden returned the favor in the third, dunking on James as he tried to defend the breakaway basket.
Early in the fourth quarter, Westbrook elevated to shoot but the second the ball left his hands, James swatted it ferociously off the court. The Lakers trailed by 10 early in the fourth at that point, 92-82. But the Rockets opened the fourth quarter with a 16-3 run that gave them a 19-point lead. The Lakers never really recovered from that.
