National Basketball Association
Houston 148, L.A. Lakers 142
When: 7:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 31, 2017
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Officials: #40 Leon Wood, #39 Tyler Ford, #30 John Goble
Attendance: 18179

HOUSTON -- In acknowledging the significance of the Rockets' hard-fought victory on Sunday night, Houston forward P.J. Tucker was direct in his declaration why it was vital: The byproduct of a 14-game winning streak was victories came so easily that one losing skid rejiggered perspective.

With James Harden exiting late due to an injury, Chris Paul filled the void and rallied the Houston Rockets to a dramatic, 148-142 double-overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center.

Paul scored 15 of his 28 points in the extra periods, and he finished with six rebounds and 10 assists.

Houston (26-9) contested the final 10:44 without Harden, who finished with 40 points and 11 assists before leaving with a left hamstring strain. Harden will be re-evaluated later this week.

With the Rockets trailing 125-124, Paul had a hand in four consecutive baskets in the first overtime before Lakers forward Brandon Ingram sank a pair of free throws with 0.8 seconds remaining to force another overtime.

In the second extra period, Paul converted six free throws inside the final minute, with Houston taking the lead for good on a second-chance basket by Tucker with 5.7 seconds remaining. Tucker finished with just those two points in 22 minutes.

Houston trailed 88-71 in the third quarter before rallying for its first victory in six games.

"We know it's not panic mode or anything like that, but when you're piling up losses like that, you still (have concerns)," Paul said. "When you're on a winning streak, you don't know what it's like to lose. When you're on a losing streak, you don't know what it's like to win. It's good to get that back, and we've got to keep it going."

Trevor Ariza added a season-high 26 points for Houston, hitting 6 of 10 3-point attempts.

After Houston connected on just 4 of 23 3-point tries in the second and third periods, the Rockets made 8 of 18 over the fourth quarter and the overtimes to send the Lakers (11-24) to a sixth consecutive defeat.

"It's obviously frustrating, but we're ... short-handed right now and it would've been a lot easier to kind of just pack it in and individually go out and try to put up big numbers until we get healthy or until we get to an easier part of the schedule," Lakers coach Luke Walton said. "Our guys really came together tonight and really played well for most of the game."

With 29 points, 15 rebounds and six assists, Julius Randle became the first Lakers player since Shaquille O'Neal in 2004 to post those numbers.

Los Angeles rookie Josh Hart added a career-high 26 points. Tyler Ennis, filling in for guard Lonzo Ball, matched his career high of 20 points while posting a season-high 11 assists. Randle, Hart and Ennis all fouled out in the extra sessions.

Harden departed with 44.9 seconds left in the fourth, clutching his hamstring following a miss on a driving layup.

Kyle Kuzma (23 points) delivered the Lakers a 122-119 lead with his second 3-pointer in the period, but after Gerald Green pulled the Rockets even with a corner trey with 7.7 seconds left, Kuzma missed his subsequent 3-point attempt, forcing overtime.

The Rockets led by as many as nine points during their 44-point first quarter, but after hitting on 6 of 10 3-point attempts in the opening period, Houston missed 13 of 14 from deep in the second.

Fueled by the rampaging Randle, the Lakers scored 48 points in the paint in the first half. Trailing 60-56, they seized control with a 13-0 run that featured a Kuzma trey and two interior baskets by Randle. The Lakers had 72 first-half points and barely slowed down after the break.

"We were playing really aggressive in the first quarter and we picked up our defense," Randle said. "We were able to get stops and get out and run."

Faced with the specter of a sixth successive loss, the Rockets mustered the will to fight back. After so much went wrong during the previous five games, Houston had its fill.

"Tonight, definitely helped us take another step in the right direction," Ariza said. "But everything is a learning experience."

NOTES: Lakers F Julius Randle needed just 14 minutes to record his fifth double-double on the season, posting 19 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. Randle scored as many as 19 points in a game three times previously. ... Rockets G James Harden logged 41 minutes after being listed as questionable with a right foot contusion. Harden missed a total of two games over the previous three seasons and has played in all 35 games this season. ... After missing two games with a right orbital fracture, Rockets C Clint Capela donned a protective mask. He ditched the mask at the intermission, and he finished with seven points and seven rebounds.
Top Game Performances
 
L.A. Lakers   Houston
Julius Randle 29 Scoring James Harden 40
Tyler Ennis 11 Assists James Harden 11
Julius Randle 15 Rebounds Tarik Black 9
Brandon Ingram 6 Free Throws Made James Harden 17
Jordan Clarkson 2 Steals Trevor Ariza 2
Kyle Kuzma 2 Blocks Clint Capela 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
L.A. Lakers 142 50.5 10-25 26-37 31 54 4 6 16
Houston 148 46.2 18-52 32-39 29 43 9 7 12
Upcoming Games
  • Houston will play their next game on the road against Orlando. The Rockets have a W/L % of .840 after a win and .500 after a loss.
  • L.A. Lakers will play their next game on the road against Minnesota. The Lakers have a W/L % of .250 after a win and .348 after a loss.