Three Things to Know: Lakers vs Rockets - 10/31/21

The Lakers host Houston on Halloween at Staples Center, set to tip at 7:30 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet.

Below are three things to know about the matchup:

TURNING UP THE DEFENSIVE DIAL

After a first half that featured myriad defensive miscues for a defense that has a long way to go*, the Lakers settled in for a much-improved fourth quarter against Cleveland. They held the Cavs to only 16 points in the period, the fewest points scored by an opponent this young season. Cleveland hit just 22.2 percent of their shots, the lowest percentage in any quarter thus far.

*Frank Vogel: “We’re still learning each other. We’re still trying to figure out what it takes to get great ball security … We’re not…