After Rockets guard James Harden averaged 37 points per game against the Lakers last season, the most he averaged against any opponent other than the 62 he scored in his one game against the Magic, he scored 36 in the first meeting this season.
He put up an average of 11 free throws per game against Los Angeles last season and attempted 15 this season, leading to the Lakers' emphasis on keeping Harden off the free throw line as the first step in defending the league's leading scorer.
"The way the rules are now, you can't touch anybody," Lakers coach Luke Walton told the media in Los Angeles on Wednesday.