Lakers Lose Game 1 Against the Houston Rockets

Game 1 of a Western Conference semifinal series was held at Staples Center last night, and all didn’t go as Lakers’ fans hoped, with the Houston Rockets winning 100-92. The Lakers shot 44.3%, made only two of 18 three-point shots and were 12 for 19 from the free-throw line. To add insult to injury, Andrew Bynum didn’t make a smooth transition back into starter position and Kobe Byrant didn’t have a good game either (with 32 points on 14-for-31 shooting) . Lamar Odom told reporters the Rockets were a strong defensive team “that I’ve sen in a long time. They’re committed to defense,” and his words adequately foreshadowed last night’s game.

Lakers’ Coach Phil Jackson told the L.A. Times after last night’s game, “I don’t know if we can play much worse, to be honest with you.” Pau Gasol, who had 14 points on six-for-14 shooting, agreed with him: “It’s tough to play worse than that,” he said. “Our shooting was pretty poor, I would say. Maybe that affected us a little too much and carried to the other end of the floor. I’m sure we’re going to shoot  lot better during the series and the next game.”

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