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LeBron James, Lakers fend off Rockets amid tight Western Conference playoffs race

The Los Angeles Lakers got the Houston Rockets on the right night.

LeBron James and the Lakers held on late in the fourth quarter and snuck out with a 104-98 win over the Rockets on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. While the win itself wasn’t anything spectacular, and the Rockets were on the second leg of a back-to-back, it can make a big impact in the Lakers’ quest to land a top seed in the Western Conference come playoff time.

The two teams were locked up at halftime after what was a brutal first quarter offensively. The two teams combined to shoot just 14-50 in the first 12 minutes, and the Lakers were held to just 16 points.