HOUSTON _ When the Lakers had a chance to give themselves some help, they didn't take it by missing 11 of their first 17 free-throw attempts.
Instead, the Rockets kept the game close and then ran away with it late.
The Rockets beat the Lakers, 126-111, on Thursday night at the Toyota Center, and James Harden matched his season high with 19 free-throw attempts. Harden finished with 50 points, 18 on free throws, and a triple-double. He also had 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
The Lakers fell to 17-11 while the Rockets improved to 13-14.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 29 points on 12-of-18 shooting while Kyle Kuzma scored 24 on 8-of-17 shooting. Kuzma was the only Laker who escaped the team's free-throw-shooting catastrophe, making all seven of his attempts.
The Lakers know they'll lose some games because of their trouble with free-throw shooting. They've known it all season. On Thursday night it happened.
