The Houston Rockets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 125-115, at Staples Center on Saturday evening.

Whether there's such a thing as an early-season "must win" is debatable, but the Rockets (1-1) came into Saturday's contest with a certain sense of urgency. Houston had gotten embarrassed by a 131-112 score on their home court in their regular-season opener, as the New Orleans Pelicans came in and delivered a thorough beating. The Rockets (1-1) seemed intent on avoiding a repeat despite a raucous road crowd that turned out for LeBron James' home debut. The visitors jumped out to a 66-62 halftime edge, but they couldn't shake the Lakers (0-2) in the third and entered the final period holding a slim one-point edge. However, a 10-3 run over the final 23 seconds finally sealed the hard-fought win. The Rockets' work on the boards was key, as they out-rebounded the hosts by a 54-44 margin. A pivotal development was the ejection of Rajon Rondo. Brandon Ingram and Chris Paul with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter after a melee ensued following a James Harden drive to the basket.

Harden led all scorers with 36 points, a total he supplemented with seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. Paul posted a 28-point, 10-assist double-double that also included seven rebounds and a steal. Clint Capela managed a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double. Gerald Green led the second unit with 13 points and also posted two rebounds and one steal. Carmelo Anthony totaled seven points, 10 rebounds, one assist and one steal in 29 minutes off the bench.

James paced the Lakers with 24 points and added five rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. JaVale McGee was next with 16 points, six rebounds, two assists and five blocks. Lonzo Ball saw a boost in playing time, tallying 26 minutes and producing 14 points, six rebounds and four assists. Rondo contributed a 13-point, 10-assist double-double that also included seven rebounds and two steals. Ingram registered 12 points, four boards, one steal and one block. Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma had matching 11-point efforts off the bench.

The Lakers remain home and take on the San Antonio Spurs in a Monday evening showdown, while the Rockets remain in the city and retake the Staples Center floor versus the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday evening.