‘No resistance’: Defensive breakdowns ground Rockets in Game 1 loss to Lakers

Los Angeles shot 78.9% (15-for-19) from the field in the first quarter and finished the game at 60.6%, a number that is way too high to be given up by a team that prides itself on its defense.

The Rockets’ defense was scrambling and constantly switching for most of the game, which allowed Los Angeles to find different one-on-one matchups to exploit. It also helped make them so effective near the basket.

In many cases, that would prompt a team to deploy a zone while forcing teams to beat them from beyond the 3-point arc. With Doncic, the Lakers’ most effective 3-point shooter, on the bench in street clothes, it could have been an effective strategy.

It was clear that Los Angeles wanted to take advantage of individual mismatches in the paint. They attempted only 19 3-pointers for the entire game (box score), yet they were very effective in that area.

By the time Houston adjusted defensively, it was too little, too late.

“There was no resistance to start the game,” Jabari Smith Jr. told Rockets Wire postgame. “They made a lot of shots, and we were not making it tough on them. They were getting what they wanted, and we were not defending.”

“We’ve got to get better than that to start the game. We’ve got to be locked in for the totality of the game. They just got too many easy looks.”

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This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: ‘No resistance’: Defensive breakdowns ground Rockets in Game 1 loss to Lakers