Lakers Fall Flat on Christmas Day as Rockets Dominate the Glass and the Game
The Los Angeles Lakers came into their Christmas Day matchup against the Houston Rockets looking for a momentum reset. After dropping five of their last nine, they needed a statement win to reassure fans that their early-season success wasn’t smoke and mirrors. What they got instead was a 119-96 beatdown that raised more questions than answers.
From the opening tip, the Lakers looked out of sync. Six first-quarter turnovers helped Houston jump out to a 37-23 lead, and the Rockets never looked back. By halftime, the Lakers were down 10, and the hole only got deeper in the second half - ballooning to a 24-point deficit in the third and 25 in the fourth.
Rebounding Woes and Turnovers Sink L.A.
The most glaring issue? Rebounding - or more accurately, the lack of it.
The Lakers were out-rebounded 48-25, including a staggering 17 offensive boards for Houston. That translated into 24 second-chance points for the Rockets, while the Lakers struggled to generate any extra possessions of their own.
No Laker grabbed more than five rebounds, and only two even reached that number.
Turnovers didn’t help either. L.A. coughed the ball up 16 times, leading to 23 points for Houston. And while the Rockets were equally careless with the ball (also committing 16 turnovers), the Lakers managed just 11 points off those miscues - a telling stat that speaks to the lack of offensive sharpness and urgency.
Lakers Slide Continues
This marks the third straight loss for Los Angeles - and all three have come by at least 15 points. Their record now sits at 19-10, good for fifth in the Western Conference, with Houston right on their heels at 18-10. The Lakers are in the middle of a rough patch, and this wasn’t the kind of performance that suggests a turnaround is imminent.
Let’s take a closer look at individual performances from the loss:
Rui Hachimura: F
If the Lakers were hoping for a spark from Hachimura, they didn’t get it. He went 0-for-6 from the field and finished scoreless in 28 minutes. He added just two rebounds, one assist, and one steal - a quiet night when they needed him to step up.
Deandre Ayton: D
Ayton was efficient scoring the ball - 5-of-6 for 12 points - but that’s about where the positives end. Known for his rebounding and interior presence, he managed just two boards in 36 minutes. With the Lakers getting crushed on the glass, Ayton’s lack of impact in the paint was a major factor.
Austin Reaves: Incomplete
Reaves got off to a solid start, scoring nine in the first quarter and finishing with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in just 15 minutes. But his night was cut short due to left calf soreness - the same calf that recently kept him sidelined. He also chipped in a rebound, an assist, and a block before exiting.
LeBron James: C-minus
LeBron was unusually passive for much of the game. He had just 12 points through three quarters and only started attacking the rim early in the fourth.
By then, it was too late. He finished with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, five assists, two rebounds, two steals, and a block in 32 minutes.
Solid numbers, but they didn’t translate to impact.
Luka Dončić: B
Dončić put up 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-8 from deep. He added seven assists, five rebounds, two blocks, and a steal - a well-rounded performance.
But ball security was an issue. He turned it over six times, five of them coming in the first quarter.
For a player of his caliber, that’s an area that needs cleaning up.
Jarred Vanderbilt: B
Vanderbilt provided some energy off the bench. He scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, hitting three triples - two of them in the second quarter as the Lakers tried to claw back.
He also grabbed five rebounds, dished out two assists, and had a steal. Defensively, he spent time guarding Kevin Durant, though Durant still managed 25 points and eight assists.
Jake LaRavia: D
LaRavia had a quiet night. He played 23 minutes, scored five points on 2-of-5 shooting, and added four rebounds, one assist, and one block. Not much impact on either end.
Marcus Smart: D-plus
Smart didn’t have his usual defensive bite or offensive rhythm. He scored six points on 3-of-8 shooting, missed all three of his attempts from deep, and finished with just two rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 29 minutes. The Lakers needed more from their veteran guard.
Role Players: Incomplete
- Maxi Kleber played six minutes and scored two points on 1-of-4 shooting. He added an assist, a steal, and a block.
- Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, and Bronny James each saw action in the final 3:09 of garbage time. Each scored once, with Bronny’s bucket coming from beyond the arc.
Thiero also pulled down two rebounds.
What’s Next for the Lakers?
This wasn’t just a bad game - it was a bad trend continuing. The Lakers have now lost three straight by wide margins, and their issues on the glass and with ball security are becoming recurring themes. They’ve got the talent, but right now, the execution just isn’t there.
The good news? It’s still December.
There’s time to course-correct. But if the Lakers want to be taken seriously in the West, performances like this one can’t become the norm.