The Houston Rockets refused to let the Los Angeles Lakers take home an easy win. The game stayed within striking distance. For every big play, there came a retort. Late in the game, Tari Eason broke down Dorian-Finney Smith and finished strong at the rim. It was the perfect spark for the Rockets fans present in the arena. In such games, emotions can be crucial. Sadly, Eason was deflated really quickly.

All the third-year forward did was bellow and celebrate his dunk. It cut the game to two points, keeping the Rockets alive in the game. Still, referee Tre Maddox gave him a technical. Is it even surprising anymore? The playoff intensity of the game came crashing down after the call. And in particular, Pacers legend Reggie Miller was annoyed at the ruling.

“Oh come on. Come on man! You knew how I was going to react on that. Are you kidding me? Come on Tre Maddox you are better than that this is the NBA. I can see it in college or high school. Stop it,” Miller blasted Maddox on air.

The Pacers legend comes from such an era. Back then, a technical foul meant a player had committed a grave offense that was irrelevant to the game. They valued the weight of emotions and friction between opponents. That’s what the game is about, beating those in front of you. To fully embrace it, how can players be nice to each other all the time?

A little celebration and two words after a great play can help rally a team and possibly intimidate rivals. But with a technical foul, the momentum gets away in an instant. Eason must have felt just as Miller did after the play. And fans too are tired of watching such ‘soft’ technicals.

A little back-and-forth never hurt anybody. In fact, players have recorded some of their best performances when battling with passion.

LeBron James and the Lakers outlast the Rockets

On several occasions, Houston applied their defiance to the game. The tough team kept cutting the game to two points. But almost always the Lakers responded. None of the sides had a great offensive display. Both shot sub-par from the field. It became evident that the defense would prove to be the winner.

So a 40-year-old showed off his awareness. With the scores 98-102 in the Lakers’ favor, LeBron James came from the help side to swat Sengun’s shot away in the final seconds of the game. The Rockets never scored after that as the Purple and Gold’s greatly improved defensive game finally executed.

Luka Doncic provided 20 points and 9 assists in the narrow win against the Rockets. However, the bench was the true difference-maker for the Lakers. Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent combined for 40 points while playing elite defense against Houston. They cramped Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet as the Rockets backcourt shot a combined 6-27 for the game.

Although the Eason possession let down the officiating in the game, it felt like a postseason battle. The NBA is beginning to transition into the intensifying environment as teams only have a handful of games remaining to prepare for the most important time of the season.

The Lakers played with great energy and activity on the defensive side of the court. The Rockets honored their spot as one of the best defenses in the league.

This is potentially a preview of what a playoff matchup would look like between two highly active teams. And it didn’t disappoint, producing breathtaking action and surreal moments.