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 Guard James Harden scored 32 points, leading the Rockets to a
108-90 rout of the Lakers in the season opener for both clubs
Tuesday night at Staples Center.
In addition to the blowout, the Lakers lost rookie forward Julius
Randle to a broken right leg in the fourth quarter. Randle, who
appeared to be injured after colliding with Houston rookie forward
Tarik Black under the basket, will be evaluated by team physicians
Wednesday.
Randle, who scored two points in 14 minutes, left the court on a
stretcher. His departure left the Lakers in a somber mood.
"Julius had a great training camp, worked his butt off every game,
had a really good preseason, and to get hurt in his first game, it's
heartbreaking, man," Lakers forward Carlos Boozer said. "I feel bad
for the kid."
Houston forwards Trevor Ariza and Terrence Jones chipped in 16
points apiece, and Jones grabbed 13 rebounds. Howard added 13 points
and 11 rebounds.
"For me, it's all about picking and choosing," said Harden, who made
seven of 17 field-goal attempts and three of six 3-pointers. "The
big fellow (Howard) got it rolling. Trevor's knocking down shots. I
just blend in with them. That's the beauty of this team. We've got a
lot guys who can make plays and contribute."
The Lakers weren't as fortunate. Guard Kobe Bryant finished with
team-high 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting in his first game since
fracturing his left knee in December. Boozer had 17 points and seven
rebounds. Reserve forward Ed Davis scored 11 points, but no one else
managed double figures for the Lakers.
It was the first meeting between Bryant and Howard since the latter
bolted the Lakers before the beginning of last season and joined the
Rockets as a free agent. The friction between the two boiled over
midway through the fourth quarter, when the two exchanged words
after Howard was called for elbowing Bryant. They both received
technical fouls on the play.
Bryant seemed to relish in the incident.
"I think it's fantastic," Bryant said. "It's the game. An elbow is a
part of the game. Trash talk is part of the game. I don't know when
the NBA became so sensitive. It's all part of it."
Howard, though, took a different route, refusing to address the
altercation after the game.
"I'm just happy we won the game," said Howard, who was 3-for-5 from
the floor and 7-for-16 from the free-throw line. "We came out as a
team tonight, and James started out very strong to the season.
Everybody went from there."
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The Rockets dictated for much of the contest, building a
double-digit lead in the first quarter and coasting. They held a
62-45 advantage at intermission, with Harden scoring 22 points.
The Rockets' 3-point shooting played a major factor in the first
half. Houston converted eight of 16 first-half shots from behind the
arc, while the Lakers managed two of five. On the night, Houston
shot 42.5 percent overall, 41.4 percent from 3-point range. Los
Angeles made 35.4 percent of its shots, including 30 percent from
long distance.
Los Angeles opened the third quarter with a 14-4 run to cut the
deficit to 66-59 after two free throws by center Jordan Hill.
However, Harden delivered a three-point play and helped Houston
regain control. The Rockets carried an 85-69 lead into the fourth
quarter.
"It was a good test for us," said Ariza, who hit five of his 10
shots from the field, including five of eight on 3-pointers. "We did
things well we've been working on, but there are always things we
could do better. I think in the third quarter we came out a little
bit lackadaisical. (That is) something we've got to work on and do
better tomorrow."
NOTES: Houston took three of the four meetings against Los Angeles
last season, averaging 130.6 points per game in the wins. The
Rockets' average margin of victory was 18.3 points. ... Lakers G
Kobe Bryant, who began his 19th season, is tied with former Utah
Jazz G John Stockton for the NBA record of most seasons played with
one franchise. ... Lakers G Wayne Ellington (concussion), F Ryan
Kelly (sore right hamstring), G Steve Nash (back) and Nick Young
(torn ligament, right thumb) did not play. ... Rockets C Clint
Capela missed the game with a groin injury. ... Both teams will play
again Wednesday. Houston visits the Utah Jazz, while the Lakers head
to Phoenix to face the Suns.
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