3 Reasons the Rockets can Beat the Lakers

The Rockets are officially locked into a first-round series with the Lakers, which tips off on Saturday, April 18.

It’s been a rollercoaster season for Houston, but they’re now primed for a postseason run with a beatable LA team standing in the way. Most will favor the Rockets in the series, with the franchise hoping to grab its first series win since 2020.

Here are three reasons why Houston could have the series advantage:

Health and Consistency

The simplest of reasons Houston could grab the series win would be health. 

The Rockets have been far from the healthiest team this season, with Fred VanVleet failing to play a single game due to an offseason ACL injury, and Steven Adams undergoing season-ending ankle surgery. Still, they’re far healthier than the Lakers presently, who could see both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves miss some or all of the first-round series.

Doncic is currently undergoing treatment in Spain, and is slated to re-join the team soon, potentially making his way back mid-way through. Reaves is reportedly due back the first week of May, meaning he’ll likely miss the entire Rockets-Lakers series. Both scenarios are an obviously big hit to the Lakers, who need to grab wins quickly in LA to have a chance. 

While the Rockets have dealt with injuries of their own, they’ve also weathered those storms for months now, rolling out consistent lineups since January. The Lakers don’t have that luxury, needing to adapt on the fly. 

Defense

Perhaps the Rockets’ biggest leg up of the series will be its defense, which is a tried and true needle-mover in the postseason.

While the Lakers’ are a potent offensive team, the Rockets are equally so on defense, rolling out talented individual and team defenders such as Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr. and more. They finished as the No. 6 team in the league in defensive rating, trailing only major contenders in the Thunder, Pistons, Spurs and Celtics, as well as the Toronto Raptors.

When things get muddy in the Playoffs, defense can be something to fall back on, and Houston will certainly have the advantage there, with LA as a middling to below-average defensive squad on both the interior and perimeter.

Fresher Legs

While the team with more experience often earns benefit of the doubt in the NBA Playoffs, this particular series could flip that on its head. 

While the Lakers have tons of postseason experience between LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton and more, they’re also one of the older rotations in the league, with the chance for fatigue to set in quicker for those players. While the Rockets’ core of Alperen Sengun, Thompson, Smith and more don’t have much in the way of experience, they should have much fresher legs at this point in the season.

If Houston can wear down the Lakers on both ends, their youthfulness could work to their advantage.