LeBron James and LA Lakers lose home opener against Houston Rockets
Last Updated: 21/10/18 3:10pm
Three players were ejected after an ugly fourth quarter brawl as LeBron James' home debut for the Los Angeles Lakers ended in a 124-115 defeat against the Houston Rockets.
Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo were thrown out of the game with just over four minutes remaining, Paul appearing to gouge the eyes of his rival point guard and Rondo retaliating by throwing a punch.
Lakers forward Brandon Ingram, who had initiated the flashpoint by pushing James Harden in the chest after being fouled, was also ejected after coming into the brawl and starting to throw punches.
All three players are likely to face multiple-game suspensions.
The incident took the gloss off a celebrity-filled debut for James, who struggled with his shot at times but managed to hit nine of his 22 shots on the way to scoring 24 points.
He was outshone by Harden, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, and Paul who combined for 64 points in a game that the Rockets and Lakers constantly swapped the lead.
Harden hit five three-pointers in his 36-point haul while Paul added 28 points before the unsightly incident with Rondo which appeared to unsettle the Lakers.
Harden hit a couple of technical free throws to hand Houston a cushion and he then drained a three-pointer to extend their advantage.
Kyle Kuzma attempted to respond for the Lakers but misses from James and Josh Hart condemned them to an 0-2 start and enabled Houston to claim their first win of the season.
Saturday's NBA results
- Nets 112-132 Pacers
- Raptors 117-113 Wizards
- Celtics 103-101 Knicks
- Magic 115-116 76ers
- Hornets 113-112 Heat
- Pistons 118-116 Bulls
- Timberwolves 136-140 Mavericks
- Suns 91-119 Nuggets
- Spurs 108-121 Trail Blazers
- Rockets 124-115 Lakers
Sky Sports is the new home of the NBA in the UK with live coverage throughout the week, including selected live games free to all Sky subscribers via Sky Sports Mix.
And www.skysports.com/nba will be your home for news, reports, video and features throughout the season while you can follow us @SkySportsNBA
