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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Doncic leads Lakers over Rockets to score sixth straight victory

Doncic leads Lakers over Rockets to score sixth straight victory

Published Mar 17, 2026 01:42 pm

At A Glance

  • HOUSTON (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 36 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 100-92 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night, March 16, in the opener of a two-game series between teams fighting for Western Conference playoff position.
Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic (77) shoots as Houston Rockets' Amen Thompson (1) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 16, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic (77) shoots as Houston Rockets' Amen Thompson (1) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 16, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
HOUSTON (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 36 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 100-92 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night, March 16, in the opener of a two-game series between teams fighting for Western Conference playoff position.
Los Angeles moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Houston for third in the West standings. There were 13 lead changes in a game that had a playoff atmosphere, but the Lakers ultimately won their sixth straight.
LeBron James found Marcus Smart for a corner 3-pointer that put Los Angeles up 94-90 with 2 minutes remaining. James finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Doncic hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the fading minutes of the third quarter to give the Lakers an 83-80 lead after trailing 57-51 at halftime. Doncic was 4 for 12 on 3s in the game and needs 11 more to match D’Angelo Russell’s franchise record of 226 in a season.
Doncic had his sixth straight game with 30 or more points but fell just short of his 12th 40-point game this season. He went 14 for 27 from the field.
Jabari Smith Jr. led Houston with 22 points. Amen Thompson had 19 and Kevin Durant added 18 for the Rockets, who committed 24 turnovers compared with just 12 for Los Angeles.
Houston was without Alperen Sengun, who was dealing with lower back pain. Sengun is averaging 20.2 points, second only to Durant for the Rockets.
The Rockets took the first meeting between the two teams this season, 119-96, in Los Angeles on Dec. 25.
Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis scored 30 points, De'Anthony Melton added 27 and the Golden State Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak with a 125-117 victory over the Washington Wizards, earning coach Steve Kerr his 600th career victory.
Golden State is without Stephen Curry (right knee) and Jimmy Butler (torn right ACL), and Seth Curry (left groin) and Al Horford (left calf strain) were also out Monday. The Warriors are almost assured of ending up in the play-in round in the Western Conference, but it matters where among that foursome you finish, and they were able to end their skid against the lowly Wizards.
Washington has dropped 12 in a row, but the Wizards still haven't taken over last place in the East because Indiana has lost 13 straight.
The Warriors rested Draymond Green, Porzingis and Melton in Sunday's loss at New York, and those three were able to help them on the second night of this back-to-back. Golden State led by 17 in the second quarter before the Wizards fought back to within two. It was 64-57 at the half.
Golden State led by 15 early in the fourth before the Wizards made one more push. They could draw no closer than five.
Trae Young scored 21 points in 21 minutes for Washington.
Washington's Bub Carrington received his second technical foul with 5:10 remaining in the third and was ejected.
The state of both these teams was apparent in the first quarter, when Golden State's Pat Spencer dropped a blind bounce pass behind him, with Washington's Jamir Watkins the only player there. Watkins took the ball and went the other way before flipping a blind backward pass of his own — which went right back to Spencer.
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