Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers
Lakers defeat Rockets en route to 2020 NBA title.
The Houston Rockets faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 Western Conference Semifinals. The Lakers won the series and went on to win the NBA championship.
- Defining Matchup
- 1986 Western Conference Finals
- Outcome Significance
- Key playoff clash but did not end Lakers' 1980s dominance (Lakers won titles in 1985, 1987, 1988)
Lore & Background
In the 2019–20 season, the Lakers finished 52–19 and clinched the top seed in the Western Conference. They defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets to reach the NBA Finals, where they beat the Miami Heat in six games.
In Their Own Story
The air inside the Compton Forum was thick with tension as the clock ticked under ten seconds. Moses Malone, sweat dripping from his brow, secured a rebound amidst a sea of purple and gold jerseys. He didn't pass; he drove, absorbing contact that would have sent lesser men to the floor. As he rose for the putback, Magic Johnson watched helplessly, realizing that tonight, the Rockets' iron will had finally silenced the Showtime crowd.
Reader's Guide
The Lakers and Rockets met in the 2020 Western Conference Semifinals. The Lakers won the series.
Did You Know?
- The Lakers became the first and only team in NBA history to be undefeated in a season when leading entering the fourth quarter, going 57–0 in the regular season and playoffs.
More in Great Rivalries & Feuds
Elsewhere in the Houston Rockets universe
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