Kobe Bryant was at his most efficient, dropping 25 points in three quarters on a 9-of-16 clip. But there was a reason the 17-time all-star didn’t play the final period, as the Lakers were already down by 21 in their 126-97 loss to Houston.
A victory in the finale of L.A.’s two-week road trip fell out of reach once the bench started filing in to replace the starting lineup.
The Lakers led late in the first quarter, 25-21, but the Rockets blitzed them for a 30-4 run over the next eight minutes. During this stretch, the purple and gold went just 1-of-10 from the field, while turning the ball over eight times.