As tempting as it may be to talk about Dwight Howard returning to the Staples Center tonight, that story’s a season old. For the Rockets’ and LA Lakers’ season opener, the big story is Kobe Bryant making his return after missing most of last season with injuries. As you watch Rockets at Lakers online free NBA season opener or live on TNT, Bryant will be front and center. Just not for reasons he normally likes.
Bryant played in just six games last season due first to a knee injury and then a ruptured Achilles tendon. He spent much of the offseason and preseason responding to critics saying he might finally be washed up, and then last week fielded questions from an ESPN article that quoted several anonymous sources as saying nobody wants to play with him.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, one of the players who did — former All-Star Steve Nash — is lost for the season with a back injury. Consequently, expectations for the Lakers season are low this season, even with former Knicks and Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin taking over for Nash and power forward Carlos Boozer now wearing the purple and gold.
Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard, who left the Lakers before last season, is bound to capitalize on those shortcomings and an aging Boozer tonight. Howard last season averaged 18.3 points and 12.2 rebounds, while James Harden Harden has averaged 32.7 points in his previous six games against the Lakers.
As they did last season, tonight’s Houston Rockets and LA Lakers game will present a slew of storylines, though perhaps not the same entertainment value. Here are some game details as you prepare to watch Rockets at Lakers online free NBA season opener. If you’re near a TV, tonight’s Rockets / Lakers game is the second NBA on TNT matchup of the season.
- Tipoff for tonight’s Houston Rockets at LA Lakers NBA season opener: 10:30pm EST / 7:30pm PST
- Arena: Staples Center (the LA Lakers are the home team)
- Who’s favored / point spread for tonight’s Rockets at Lakers game: the Rockets are 7-point favorites
- Live stream NBA on TNT here if you have TNT as part of your cable or satellite package
- You can check the TNT website, which often has live streaming NBA games
- You can also download the TNT Watch Live app for your tablet or mobile device
