The Lakers gave up a golden opportunity to gain ground in the Western Conference standings, losing to the Houston Rockets 114-110 on Wednesday night. The absence of Anthony Davis loomed large, as the Rockets dominated the paint (78 paint points to 46) on their way to only their 17th victory of the year.
In what was their latest attempt to finally reach the .500 mark, the Lakers once again came up short in what many assumed would be a very winnable game.
On the second night of a back-to-back, the team stumbled out of the gates early.