The Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t quite snap their ongoing losing streak as they fell in double-overtime to the Houston Rockets. However, they did give the West’s second-best team all they could handle, and head coach Luke Walton credits Julius Randle for his role in setting the tone for the team during that game.

“He (Randle) did a great job of setting the tone with how fast he was playing. He was running into screens, he was rolling to the rim when he was catching in that trail position. Once he got his rhythm and his confidence going he made some really nice finishes. It was tough to see him foul out on that type of foul in that type of game but the way he started and the speed he was playing with got him in a good rhythm.”

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Randle, whose playing time has been curiously inconsistent this season, had his best game of the year against the Rockets as he finished with 29 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists in 33 minutes before fouling out. He has performed well since being inserted by Walton into the starting lineup a couple of games ago to provide more offense in the continued absence of Brook Lopez and Lonzo Ball.

At his best, Randle has that type of skill set that can allow him to push the pace from the power forward position. The Lakers will certainly be hoping to get more strong performances from him in the coming games as they look to finally recover from their horrendous losing skid.