Not surprisingly, the Los Angeles Lakers lost on Wednesday night in Houston, and it wasn't close. For the second time in as many trips to the most populous city in Texas, the Lakers suffered a blowout 39-point defeat.
While the final score of 139-100 matched the play in aggregate, Lakers forward Julius Randle put together a highlight filled night that featured a new personal best. The 22-year-old scored a career-high 32 points and also grabbed eight rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes. The bruising forward also made 13 of his 17 field goal attempts.
Speaking of bruising, Randle also had one of the most incredible plays of the night, as he elbowed two opponents on one play, while also seemingly striking a third.
Julius Randle takes out two Rockets on one play. pic.twitter.com/LhO4EBYWpb — SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) March 16, 2017
Randle emerged unfazed, but two different Rockets ended up either clutching their faces on the ground. The 22-year-old didn't seem to even notice as towels had to be unfolded and provided for the bloodied victims.
Beyond Randle's special night, Lakers rookie Brandon Ingram also had a standout night with 18 points to record his sixth straight game scoring in double figures. Ingram made eight of his 14 shots on the night, including two of his three three-point attempts.
While lottery picks Randle and Ingram stepped up for the occasion, no. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft D'Angelo Russell had an awful night where he finished with seven turnovers, five points, two assists and two rebounds in 25 minutes before fouling out. The 21-year-old, who recently got demoted to a bench role, missed eight of his 10 shot attempts and all five of his three-point attempts.
The seven turnovers, though, stood out for the backup point guard. In two games off the bench, the Lakers are -57 points while Russell is on the court.
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Jordan Clarkson, who took Russell's starting spot, finished with 18 points and three assists in 35 minutes in the loss.
Of course, the Rockets had their own story, as James Harden continued to make his case for the league's Most Valuable Player award. Harden recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds on the night.
Former Lakers' guard Lou Williams, who was traded to Houston just shy of the trade deadline, finished with 30 points off the Rockets' bench to lead the home team.
