The Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets faced off for Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals of the NBA playoffs, with the purple and gold entering the matchup being highly favored. Now, judging by the memes and reactions, it seems like things didn't go their way tonight.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis were 5.5-point favorites to beat the Rockets. They hadn't played since Saturday and had plenty of time to rest and study their rivals, while Houston had to go to a Game 7 vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Well, at the end of the day, none of that mattered. The Rockets hit the ground running and never took the feet off the gas and gave the Lakers a basketball lesson. They won 3 out of 4 quarters and took a 1-0 lead in the series with a 112-97 win.
There was a lot of speculation regarding the Lakers' ability to match up vs. top tier rivals like the Rockets. Even so, they had a size advantage, the best duo in the world, and a deeper squad but they just couldn't make the most of it.
James Harden and Russell Westbrook combined for 60 points and controlled the pace of the game from start to finish. The Lakers, a team supposed to be at the top of the race for an NBA Championship, never saw them coming. Needless to say, the internet had a lot to say about it.
Funniest memes and reactions from the Lakers' terrible loss to the Rockets
It's still too early to hit the panic button. Let's not forget that the Lakers also dropped game 1 in the first round vs. the Portland Trail Blazers and came back in a high note to get the gentleman's sweep. The Rockets, however, promise to be a much more difficult pill to swallow, so they better turn the corner right now.
