CaliSports News

Recap: Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers lost the first game of the regular season last night. The Houston Rockets beat the Lakers last night 108-90.

It was a rough night for the Lakers after the loss of Julius Randle to a broken leg.

Los Angeles Lakers’ rookie forward Julius Randle broke his leg in the fourth quarter of the home opener against the Rockets Tuesday night.Reports according to the Lakers team doctors and officials say the diagnosis is a broken tibia. The Lakers will underground further evaluation today. Lakers head coach had this to say about the Julius Randle and the injury according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com:

It is heartbreaking, because I saw him all summer,” coach Byron Scott said. “I saw the work that he was putting in. I saw the progression that he was making, the steps that he was taking to get better. And his first game, he goes down. I don’t think anybody in that locker room is happy about the way we played, but we’re even more saddened about the fact that we lost one of our young guys.”

The injury was a sobering moment for every player in the Staples Center last night. All of the Kobe articles, all the tension between the Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard, just didn’t matter.

“We’ll help him through this, and he’ll come back a better basketball player,” Bryant said. “That’s the goal, is to try to find a silver lining in this. He’ll use the time to come back and be stronger.”

Kobe Bryant scored 19 points in his first game back in the regular season after missing most of last year, which was Lakers’ worst season in a half-century.

Just moments before Randle’s season-ending injury, Howard and Bryant both received technical fouls after Howard elbowed Bryant in the face after grabbing a rebound in the fourth quarter, which set off a long stretch of shouting and drama between the two.

Bryant looked to have yelled “Try me!” at Howard, who sported his usual Chester Cat grin.

“There’s no need to go into it. We won the game,” Howard said. “It’s over with. It’s about basketball. I’m not even focused on it.”

Following the game Kobe also added,

“You can’t help but like him,” Bryant said with a straight face. “He’s a teddy bear. I really mean that. He’s a nice kid.”

Trevor Ariza and Terrence Jones scored 16 points each, while Harden hit three 3-pointers and 15 free throws. Ariza hit five 3-pointers for the Rockets, who took an 18-point lead in the first half and weren’t threatened.

Jeremy Lin racked up seven points against his former team but the starting point guard struggled against Patrick Beverley.

Carlos Boozer added 17 points in his Lakers debut.

And just for fun, here’s a video of Kobe calling Dwight soft.

For everything Los Angeles Lakers related, and all of your favorite LA sports teams, stick with us at calisportsnews.com. All Cali, all the time!

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