HOUSTON (AP) – LeBron James (AP; pic below) and Russell Westbrook both had triple-doubles and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a season-high, five-game skid with a 132-123 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.
“The hardest thing to do in this league is win,” James said.
“So when you win you never take it for granted.”
James had 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his third triple-double this season, and it was his fifth consecutive 30-point game. Westbrook scored 24 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his seventh of the season.
Houston stuck around for most of the night, but James took over late to allow the Lakers to pull away and hand the Rockets their fifth consecutive loss.
“For us to battle through this together and to finish the way we did with LeBron and Russ doing it together, bringing it home, I think that’s a big step forward in this,” said assistant coach David Fizdale, who was filling in for a fifth straight game for coach Frank Vogel because of COVID-19 protocols.
The Rockets trailed by one when James was called for goaltending on a layup by Jalen Green that would have put Houston on top with minutes left. But the Lakers challenged the call, and it was overturned. Carmelo Anthony made a three-pointer a few seconds later to extend the lead to 120-116.
