The Houston Rockets upset the Los Angeles Lakers last night with a 112-97 win. They entered the game as the underdogs and were expected to lose. But led by James Harden, they overcame the number one seed Lakers and looked dominant throughout the game.

One of the main reasons, the Rockets were favored to lose was due to their side disadvantage. Lakers star Anthony Davis was expected to bully the small-lineup of the Rockets. But in the end, the Rockets got the better of them. In the post-game interview, Harden talked about how critics underestimate them because of their height.

“I don’t know why people keep saying we’re small,” he said. “I don’t care if you’re 7 feet; if you don’t have heart, it doesn’t matter. If you don’t have dog in you, it doesn’t matter. We got guys that are able to switch, play different positions, and guard different guys on the court.”

James Harden and co proving height doesn’t matter

During last night’s game, the Rockets were level with the Lakers on the glass. Both finished with 41 rebounds each. The Rockets outdid the Lakers in the paint as well. They scored 42 points in the paint compared to the Lakers’ 40.

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In the previous meeting during the seeding games, the Rockets were outrebounded by 14 but still ended up winning. Last night they were determined to get the better of the Lakers on that front as well.

The Rockets’ defense on Davis was solid. Despite being almost half a foot shorter than him, P.J. Tucker defended him well. Davis may have shot efficiently going 10/16 but in the end, his contribution wasn’t enough to get the win.

Entering into Game 2, the Rockets will have the momentum to spring another upset. Despite all the disbelief around their small-ball experiment, the Rockets are proving their critics wrong, one step at a time. It will be interesting to see how the Lakers combat this approach and fight for a win in Game 2.