Russell Westbrook Leads Rockets Past Lakers in Robert Covington Debut

Westbrook led all scorers with 41 points while Robert Covington scored 14 in his Rockets' debut.

We received our first data point with the new-look Rockets in their 121-111 win over the Lakers on Thursday night, and the results were certainly encouraging. Houston banged home 19 threes and shot 50.6% from the field, and it allowed just six offensive boards against Los Angeles' collection of behemoths. What many assumed to be a small-ball experiment has become a staple. Against the West's biggest team, the Rockets' undersized unit thrived.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey certainly took a considerable gamble before Thursday's trade deadline. He dealt Clint Capela (in addition to Gerald Green and a first-round pick) in order to receive Timberwolves forward Robert Covington in a four-team deal on Tuesday, and on Thursday, he acquired Grizzlies forward Bruno Caboclo. The Rockets' pair of remaining centers are outside of Mike D'Antoni's rotation. 6'5" forward P.J. Tucker is Houston's starting center. D'Antoni's plan is certainly radical, but with five wins in the last six games, it continues to work.

The logic behind Morey's gamble is easy to see. The Rockets' superstars thrive without a center in the game, riding five-out lineups in which the lane is clear for James Harden and Russell Westbrook. The theory held true on Thursday, especially for Westbrook. The former Thunder point guard was the best player on the floor at the Staples Center. He tallied 41 points and added eight rebounds, making 17 of 28 shots. 10 of Westbrook's field goals came at the rim. He went 6-7 in the third quarter, scoring 16 points as Houston seized a four-point lead entering the fourth quarter. Westbrook has played like an MVP since the calendar turned to 2020. He's averaging 31.4 points and eight assists in his last 13 games. He's found his groove in the Rockets' offense, and Houston's pre-deadline deals should only accentuate his strengths.

The Rockets' five-out spacing created a slew of open looks, especially in transition as Los Angeles scrambled to find shooters streaking down the floor. Houston made 19 of 42 triples on Thursday, and eight players hit a three. Eric Gordon banged home five triples. Covington hit four in his Rockets' debut. The Rockets have five dynamic weapons without a center on the floor, each of whom can make a play downhill in the half court. The Rockets' center-less lineups are especially potent when Harden is double-teamed. Capela was frozen in open space, unable to dribble to the tin or find an open shooter. Houston didn't encounter such difficulties on Thursday. 

Look at this spacing!

James Harden pushes the pace in transition, creates penetration. Possession ends in an Eric Gordon 3-pointer. #Rockets up 2. pic.twitter.com/tfqFpdlZk0

— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) February 7, 2020

Houston will likely lose the rebounding battle on most nights, and they were beaten on the boards by 20 against New Orleans on Sunday. D'Antoni knows this with his team's height disadvantage, but he noted on Tuesday that rebounding is largely a byproduct of effort. The Rockets crashed the boards with abandon on Thursday. All five players stayed back to attack the defensive glass, and the two teams finished the evening tied with six offensive rebounds apiece. Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard combined for just three offensive boards. That's certainly a winning formula for the pint-sized Rockets. 

There's another way to even-out the possession battle if the Rockets get beat on the glass. Houston wreaked havoc in passing lanes against Charlotte on Tuesday, and it continued to force a stream of turnovers against the Lakers. Los Angeles finished Thursday night with 15 turnovers, including six from LeBron James and four from Rajon Rondo. Covington's length made a significant impact in Houston's turnover generation, and Thabo Sefolosha continued to make quality defensive plays as an undersized five. The Rockets' defense remains imperfect, but Thursday was another step in the right direction.

The Rockets' win in Los Angeles was perhaps their best win of the season, and while Thursday is just one game, it certainly provides a jolt of optimism considering Morey's risk. Small-ball is here to stay. If Thursday is any indication, it might just work.