The Los Angeles Lakers' stifling defense was in full display against John Wall and the Houston Rockets on Sunday. In the second quarter of their match at the Toyota Center, Wall got denied thrice in one possession by the Lakers' trifecta of Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Marc Gasol.
Swattin’ on a Sunday
(📺: @SpectrumSN) pic.twitter.com/kcNiSKhqNJ
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 11, 2021
The Rockets point guard displayed his burst of speed after using PJ Tucker's screen and made a strong drive to the paint. However, he wasn't anticipating The Brow's help defense, as he swatted away Wall's attempt. Houston recovered the basketball and got it right back to Wall shortly.
But the 6-foot-4 speedster got denied a second time, this time by LeBron who perfectly timed his drive. Hoping the third time's the charm, Wall put up one final hurrah but was once again left empty-handed by the long reach of Gasol.
That sequence, meanwhile, just shows how dominant the reigning champs have been from the opening tip. The Purple and Gold have outmuscled and outplayed the home team, who is missing center DeMarcus Cousins after getting ejected early in the second period.
The Lakers (7-3) look to start another winning streak following their close encounter with the Chicago Bulls in their last outing. The Rockets, on the other hand, has struggled out of the gates so far this new season and currently holds a 3-4 slate.
John Wall, meanwhile, has looked great in his first season with the Rockets so far. While he is used to finishing in traffic, it's going to be extremely hard to score against the Lakers' intimidating frontline.
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