NBA: Luka Doncic, Lakers down Rockets for 7th straight win

Luka Doncic flirted with a 40-point triple-double, and LeBron James added 30 points while missing only one shot, as the visiting Los Angeles Lakers claimed a 124-116 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, clinching the three-game season series.

James fueled a 13-4 start to the fourth quarter with two baskets and two assists, but Doncic took over down the stretch to close out a sweep of the two-game set, which included an eight-point victory Monday. Third-place Los Angeles (44-25) won its seventh straight game, while fifth-place Houston (41-27) fell one game behind fourth-place Minnesota (43-27) in the Western Conference.

Doncic followed a go-ahead Rui Hachimura 3-pointer with one of his own, giving the Lakers a 113-109 lead. He then assisted on alley-oop dunks to Hachimura and James before drilling a stepback 3 that extended the lead to 120-111 with 58.4 seconds left.

Doncic finished with 40 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists, including seven 3-pointers. James shot 13 of 14 from the field. Deandre Ayton added 16 points, and Austin Reaves contributed 14 points and eight assists, helping Los Angeles shoot 60.5% as a team.

For Houston, Alperen Sengun led with 27 points and 10 assists. Amen Thompson added 26 points and 11 rebounds, while Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 18 each.

The Rockets erased a 13-point first-half deficit to take a 73-72 lead on a Durant dunk with 7:05 left in the third quarter, opening the half with an 18-5 run. Houston briefly extended its lead to six before Doncic cut it in half with a 3-pointer, a free throw, and a late layup entering the final period.

Ayton nearly matched his seven-point output from Monday by the midpoint of the first quarter. With James contributing two 3-pointers and a transition dunk, the Lakers seized an early advantage. Doncic took control late in the opening period, and his 3-pointer gave Los Angeles a 35-26 lead heading into the second quarter. The Lakers hit 7 of 12 3-pointers in the first half.

James followed with a thunderous transition dunk off a Houston missed 3, extending the Lakers’ lead to 45-32. Late in the half, he converted a layup five seconds after a Josh Okogie 3-pointer. Doncic scored through a foul soon after another Houston turnover, completing a three-point play that sent Los Angeles into halftime with a 67-55 lead.

James and Doncic each scored 18 points in the first half. Thompson paced Houston with 14 points at the break.

—Field Level Media/Reuters