Takeaways: Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers: Game 1

And there you have it. The Houston Rockets completed the worst finish in an opening game that I’ve seen in years. And it’s cringing to even replay it in my head.

Now how do you feel after this game?

Maybe not the same as I but I’m sure you were looking for so much more tonight in terms of effort.

I’m disappointed, I’m in disbelief and I’m also in doubt.

Yes, I’m spilling the Dirty D’s in the trifecta of fashions!

I expected much more out of this Houston Rockets team tonight and they fell below the expectations that I had envisioned on how this game would play out.

You know how it started — this team came out guns-a-blazing and we were all did a jaw-dropping number in regard to how good this offense was going to be for the next 81 games.

But then we saw the ultimate digression with each quarter’s end as this game went through the motions.

The Houston Rockets scored 71 points in the first half — compared to 43 in the second half — and certainly was in control of their destiny.

But as much as they were, that adage wore thin as their shooting began to decline and the Lakers started to smell blood in the water.

More from House of Houston

Although the Houston Rockets had the upper hand, they continued to let the Lakers stay in the game and they worked hard to chip away enough to take the lead with 7:58 left in the game off a Lou Williams three-pointer.

It went downhill from there as the Lakers confidence soared and they starting doing the little things on defense to force turnovers to keep them out front.

The three that was sunk by Williams was the turning point of the game because the Houston Rockets didn’t recover after that.

We witnessed the ball movement slow to standstill while our beloved team took one terrible shot after another.

I’m sure they know this but it’s okay to pass the ball around a few times to ensure the correct man is available to score.

But the sad part is that the Houston Rockets were able to get a ton of good looks but their shots just weren’t falling.

And that’s going to happen with any NBA team.

But what separates those from the rest is how one handles adversity and this team hasn’t quite shown what it can do when they’re facing it.

For those last eight minutes of this game, it’s as if the Houston Rockets had forgotten all that had been coached into them during training camp.

They just rolled over, cried “Uncle,” and let the Lakers do just about whatever they wanted.

The Rockets’ defense tonight was deplorable to say the least.

There’s another “D” word by the way…

They stood like statues while the Lakers were taking away their manhood with their backs turned to their defenders.

I’d liken to a possum that got caught with its tail between its legs.

Ugggggggh!

Next: Was Picking Bobby Brown Over Pablo Prigioni The Right Choice?

But for what it’s worth, James Harden finished in spectacular fashion with 34 points, 17 assists, including going 15-of-16 from the charity stripe.

He did not record a single assist in the 4th and that may have made a difference with the ball movement.

We had gone back to the dreaded isolation plays where the other four team members stood around and watched him dribble out the precious seconds on the time clock.

Clint Capela had solid game with the effective use of the pick-and-roll with 16 points and nine rebounds ensuring our team rebounding was on point when he was manning the middle.

Everybody else was just plain BAD and the supporting cast NEEDS to shore it up.

On the other hand, D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson owned the Houston Rockets tonight with them each throwing in 20 and 25 points respectively.

However, they both combined for only four assists to which I consider low for guards of their caliber.

It goes to show that the Lakers won’t be an assist-efficient — just like last season — but they’re just going to focus on putting the ball in those guys’ hands.

But the Lakers can enjoy that win they received because they likely won’t be getting many in the foreseeable future.

The Rockets will just have to regroup and prepare to take on the up-and-down Dallas Mavericks this Friday at the American Airlines Center.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CDT.

We shall see — go Houston Rockets.

Home/Houston Rockets