Anthony Davis and an early ejection stole the show in last night’s showdown between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers, but perhaps the biggest story of all was the return to the lineup of starting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who had missed the last four games after suffering what was deemed a “mild” ankle sprain in a game against San Antonio on New Year’s Day. While Caldwell-Pope didn’t play anywhere near a full minutes load on Sunday, playing only 22 minutes, he made an impact on the game on both ends, especially in transition, where his defense and speed helped the Lakers run more. Caldwell-Pope had two steals in the first two minutes of the game.
LeBron said KCP’s speed really stands out for the Lakers. He ignites the break, sets a tone, and they missed that.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 11, 2021
The Lakers are a great halfcourt team and they have shot the 3-pointer even better to start this season but Caldwell-Pope helped the Lakers get in transition for easier baskets against the Rockets on Sunday. The Lakers had 32 fast break points in Sunday evening’s win, sparked in large part by 21 Houston turnovers.
