Lakers vs. Rockets: Lakers lose at home to Rockets

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It was easy to understand why the Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

It wasn’t so easy to understand why the Lakers were beaten by the Houston Rockets, 101-91, Sunday night at Staples Center.

In the loss to the Nuggets, it was a back-to-back game for the Lakers and they didn’t arrive at their team hotel until 4 a.m.

But this game against the Rockets was different. The Lakers didn’t practice Saturday, giving them a day of rest.

But the Lakers couldn’t slow down Aaron Brooks, who had 33 points.

Former Laker Trevor Ariza, making his first appearance here since signing with Houston this summer, had just nine points on two-for-12.

Andrew Bynum had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who have lost two straight games.

Kobe Bryant had 18 points, but he was just five-for-20 from the field.

The Lakers beat the Rockets in overtime when the two teams played earlier this month in Houston.

With their energy lacking and their defense being ripped apart by the speedy Aaron Brooks, the Lakers fell behind, 80-73, to the Houston Rockets at the end of the third quarter.

There was a point in the third when the Rockets had their way with the Lakers, when Brooks looked unstoppable.

For Brooks, who had15 points in the third, part of his 30 points through three quarters, he had a rare, big moment.

Brooks made a three-pointer while being fouled by Derek Fisher. Brooks made the free throw for a three-point play.

That was part of a 12-0 Rockets run that turned a two-point deficit into a 76-68 lead in the third.

The 14-point, first-quarter lead the Lakers built quickly went away, the Lakers even falling behind by one point in the second quarter.

The Lakers stopped going inside and stopped playing defense, which was a big reasons why the held just a 54-52 lead over the Houston Rockets Sunday night at Staples Center.

The Lakers scored 12 points in the second quarter after scoring 16 in the first.

Houston scored 29 points on the Lakers in the second quarter.

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The goal for the Lakers Sunday night against the Houston Rockets was to punish them inside.

Mission accomplished.

The Lakers scored 16 points in the paint in the first, opening a 29-23 lead over the Rockets at the end of the quarter.

Andrew Bynum had eight points, going three-for-five from the field and two-for-two from the free-throw line.

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During the 26-point loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, the Lakers faield to get the ball inside.

Whether it was Kobe Bryant in the low post or Andrew Bynum down low, the Lakers didn’t attack the Nuggets in the paint, especially in the third quarter when the Lakers were outscored, 29-8.

Against the Houston Rockets Sunday night at Staples Center, Jackson wanted his Lakers to go back on the attack.

‘Well, we have to get the ball back inside,’ Jackson said.

-- Broderick Turner

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