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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James cited a lack of "care factor" from his team in a pivotal stretch of the first quarter that allowed the Rockets to take control in a 135-119 Houston victory Monday night.
The Lakers trailed 30-29 with 2:32 left in the quarter. By the time the frame ended, the Rockets increased their lead to 11 points thanks to an offensive flurry.
"The first half was lost in the last two-and-a-half minutes of the first quarter," James told reporters after the game. "We didn't get back in transition and they ran out on us. ... We just didn't get back, didn't have a sense of care factor. We didn't have a care factor in those last two-and-a-half minutes."
It was a frustrating night all around for the Lakers, who lost despite James, Anthony Davis and D'Angelo Russell all scoring 23 points apiece. They allowed the Rockets to shoot 53.1 percent from the field and got out-rebounded 56-35.
Rockets wing Dillon Brooks not only dropped 17 points but also successfully got under the skin of multiple L.A. players as well.
Jarred Vanderbilt got ejected after shoving Brooks under the basket in the second quarter and poking him in the head.
Vanderbilt had taken exception to a foul by Brooks moments earlier, with Brooks making contact to his back as he was going up for a dunk.
Then in the fourth quarter, James took exception to a hard foul by Brooks, which resulted in a flagrant-1.
James responded, "Next question," when asked about Brooks after the game.
Davis and head coach Darvin Ham were more direct, however.
"No man is going to talk towards another man the way he was talking to Vando," Davis told reporters. "So, Vando did what he had to do."
Ham pointed to both of the fouls to Vanderbilt and James.
"Being competitive is one thing," he said. "But ... putting players at risk of injury with certain plays—I just watched it again [on video] before I came in here, [Brooks] pushes him in the back, a guy that's in the air. Airborne, defenseless. Then Bron's play, Bron goes to the basket and it's a double move with his arms. One arm trying to deflect the ball and it goes back and then it goes across [James'] face."
Ham questioned whether Brooks should've remained in the game.
This was the last meeting between the Rockets and Lakers for this season, so Los Angeles will have to wait a while before it can exact a measure of revenge on Brooks and Houston.
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