Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets: Start Time and Preview

By MH
- Tweet
- Pin It
Updated: October 28, 2014

Tonight is the night we have all been waiting for! The NBA is back in session and we get a first glimpse at the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night!

The game will be televised on TNT at 7:30 pm.

Coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history, the Lakers are looking to put last year behind them. Expectations are low in regards to Kobe Bryant’s impact and the rest of the team.

It is no secret that Kobe Bryant has had his fair share of injuries, and the loss of Steve Nash will be an adjustment to say the last.

ESPN.com says this in their preview:

“With Bryant entering his 19th season, 40-year-old Steve Nash out with a season-ending back injury and Pau Gasol in Chicago, the Lakers already appear in danger of missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the second time in club history.

Though new coach and former Laker Byron Scott hopes this club won’t join those non-playoff teams of 1974-75 and ’75-76, he’s relished the underdog role.

“I love the fact that pretty much everyone has written us off,” he said. “That’s obviously fuel to the fire. I’m going to use that to talk to our players about how people are viewing us as a basketball team. I love the fact that everybody is doubting us.”

With Nash done for the season and quite possibly his career, Los Angeles will turn to a former Rocket as its starting point guard. Houston dumped Jeremy Lin and his nearly $15 million contract to the Lakers in July while attempting to clear cap space to acquire Chris Bosh, though Bosh wound up staying in Miami.

“I’m trying not to build this game up, make it any bigger than it is,” Lin said of facing his former team in the opener. “The headline’s Kobe vs. Dwight.”

Those injuries will put more pressure on new addition Carlos Boozer and No. 7 overall draft pick Julius Randle, but most of the scoring load figures to fall to Bryant. Still, Scott is being wary of his star’s workload — which doesn’t figure to be near the 38.8 minutes he averaged in the 15 seasons prior to 2013-14.

The Rockets are much healthier heading into this season after going 54-28, but they felt their season ended too soon after Portland’s Damian Lillard hit a 25-footer at the buzzer to hand them a 99-98 first-round loss in Game 6.

“Losing in the first round was disappointing for all of us and still hurts,” general manager Daryl Morey said. “We don’t want to go through that again.”

The Los Angeles Lakers are expecting to carry out a slower pace offensively. Byron Scott said he doesn’t want them taking too many 3s — and Bryant seems eager to embrace the team’s new identity.