LOS ANGELES — The Lakers are running out of players and it’s barely the third week of the NBA season.
Anthony Davis was the latest to hit the injured list, missing Wednesday’s game in Houston with a surprising final score despite five Lakers players sitting out because of injuries.
The Houston Rockets won easily, 128-94, as Davis missed his first game of the season with spasms in his left hip.
The Lakers fell to 0-5 on the road for only the third time ever, failing to offer much in the way of defense throughout the night. The first half said it all: Houston 66, Lakers 45.
The roster was so threadbare that undrafted rookie Colin Castelton entered the game in the first quarter. Castleton, one of the Lakers’ two-way players, had two points as the Lakers fell to 3-5 overall.
“I’m not discouraged or anything because we haven’t been whole all year,” Lakers Coach Darvin Ham said, before referring to the Lakers’ recent woes. “If it’s going to happen in the season, I’d rather have it now. We’ll figure it out.”
D’Angelo Russell scored 22 points and LeBron James added 18. Neither of them played in the fourth quarter, the Lakers down 28 when it began.
Austin Reaves made only two of nine shots and finished with a quiet seven points, a step back for him after three solid games. Christian Wood took Davis’ spot in the starting lineup but was scoreless with only four rebounds in 22 minutes.
James was noticeably tight-lipped after the game, reminding reporters that the Lakers’ injuries prevented any sense of cohesion eight games into the season.
Davis was not expected to miss much time and was questionable for the game until half an hour before tip-off. He was joined on the injured list by Gabe Vincent (sore knee), Jarred Vanderbilt (heel bursitis), Jaxson Hayes (sprained ankle) and rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino (bruised knee).
On a good note, if there was one for the Lakers, Rui Hachimura returned from a four-game absence because of concussion symptoms. He scored 24 points in 26 minutes against Houston, making 10 of 14 shots.
Hachimura said it was effective to watch all those games from an analytical standpoint to figure out where he could fit best with the Lakers.
Hachimura also picked up on the Lakers’ lack of energy Wednesday, including a 32-19 deficit after the first 12 minutes.
“We’ve been struggling in the first quarter … and it was a bad first quarter again. That was the game,” Hachimura said.
The Lakers were outscored in the paint, 68-42, as the Rockets (4-3) dominated every facet Wednesday. Houston was led by its two 21-year-olds, Jalen Green (28 points) and Alperen Sengun (19 points).
The day before the game, Houston forward Dillon Brooks just couldn’t help himself and took aim at James, to no one’s real surprise.
Brooks began a confounding (and very verbal) poke-the-bear approach with James during last season’s playoff matchup between the Lakers and Memphis, Brooks’ former team.
Among other things, Brooks called James “old” and said he wouldn’t respect any player unless they scored 40 points on him.
Brooks’ antics didn’t work. The Lakers pulled off the first-round upset in six games as James averaged an impressive 22.2 points and 11.2 rebounds. Brooks wasn’t re-signed by Memphis in free agency.
Fast forward to Tuesday and Brooks had more to say about the subject before facing James with the Rockets for the first time.
“Ready to lock him up,” Brooks told the Houston Chronicle. “He’s been shooting the ball well, he’s been playing well, so just there to make him tired, make him get into that fourth quarter early.”
Brooks claimed he would make James work harder Wednesday by guarding him the entire length of the court if James brought up the ball. Brooks also envisioned defending James in the post by continually bumping him.
Brooks, who scored five points, couldn’t claim total victory against such a short-handed Lakers team.
The Lakers’ four-game road trip ends Friday in Phoenix, where the Lakers play their first game of the new NBA in-season tournament.