Lakers vs. Rockets Preview and Game Thread: Two elite teams meet for the first time this season

Sunday’s game against the Rockets is the perfect test for the Lakers to evaluate their recent moves and where they stand in the West.

The Lakers are back on the road, spending the next four days in Texas, specifically in Houston and Dallas. On Sunday, for the first time this season, the purple and gold will face the Rockets, the current third seed in the Western Conference.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets

When: 4 p.m. PT, Jan 5

Where: Toyota Center

Watch: NBA TV, Spectrum Sportsnet

The Lakers currently hold sole possession of the fourth seed in the Western Conference and have bounced back massively, winning eight of their last 11 games after a horrible stretch in the latter part of November, during which they lost nine out of 11 matches.

Los Angeles is now in a pleasant grove amid one of their best stretches in years.

The purple and gold couldn’t ask for a better time to be trending in the right direction because they’re about to face two heavyweight teams in the Western Conference in the next four days.

The Rockets in particular have been one of the most surprising teams this season as they’ve consistently been winning games spearheaded by their outstanding defense. They’re a tough, physical, lengthy team that could present problems for the Lakers.

L.A. will have to bring a high level of compete defensively and outplay them on the offensive end, where the Rockets tend to struggle.

Aside from that, here are two factors that will also determine the battle between the current third and fourth seed of the Western Conference.

The battle between Anthony Davis and Alperen Şengün

Both teams will need their respective big men to play well against each other to win.

For Davis who is averaging 26.7 points and 10.3 rebounds against Sengun in the six games he’s played against him in his career, it’s a matter of containing the Turkish big who is the engine of this Rockets offense.

The four-year center enters this matchup averaging 19.1 points, 10.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. If Sengun’s contained, the Lakers’ chances of winning increase significantly.

Whose defense will prevail?

It would be nice to see L.A. carry over the defensive performance they gave against the Hawks versus the Rockets. Houston’s defense is so good that it has compensated for its mediocre offense, which is why it has the league’s sixth-best net rating at 5.9.

Matchup-wise, the battle in the perimeter between Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks against Austin Reaves and Max Christie should be interesting.

The Lakers also have to watch out for the likes of Amen Thompson, Jalen Green and even Cam Whitmore, who can get comfortable and catch a rhythm quickly.

Perhaps this version of the Lakers, with more size and defensive skill on the wing and perimeter, matches up better with this Rockets team. It’s the perfect time to evaluate the Lakers’ roster adjustments and moves over the last couple of weeks.

While Houston is stacked with talent, Los Angeles has a player named LeBron James, who seems pretty good.

James is coming off two games where he combined for 68 points on 28-45 shooting, had 16 assists and converted on nine 3-pointers.

That and another great AD game on both ends of the floor are and will always be the Lakers’ best way to defeat the elite teams in the conference. Let’s see if they can do just that on Sunday.

Notes and Updates

• Before we get to the injury report, it’s important that I also highlight some of the Lakers’ flaws from their recent victory against the Hawks. Their 18 turnovers and 18 free throws given up in the win against Atlanta, made for ugly basketball. A similar showing against the Rockets can’t happen if they want to win.
• The Rockets themselves are coming off an ugly 23-point loss to the Boston Celtics, so there’s a good chance that they’ll be eager to bounce back on Sunday against the Lakers.
• Now for the injury report, the Lakers list Anthony Davis (left ankle sprain) and LeBron James (left foot injury management) as probable and Gabe Vincent (left oblique strain) as doubtful to play.
• Jalen Hood-Schifino (left hamstring strain), Jarred Vanderbilt (right foot surgery recovery) and Christian Wood (left knee surgery recovery) are all out.
• For Houston, Jabari Smith Jr. (broken left hand) is out and Tari Eason (lower leg injury management) is doubtful.
• We will be live on Playback for this game, so be sure to join us!

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.