The Los Angeles Lakers won the first meeting (124-115) and will be in a good position to do it again. The battle will be set in Staples Center and the then-injured Anthony Davis is joining the fold.

HOME TEAM: Los Angeles Lakers (38-11, 17-6 at home)

The Lakers are building off back-to-back wins where they are compiling 129 points, 15.1 threes, and 30.5 assists per game on 55%-shooting.

Four solid performances led the Lakers in the win over the Rockets last January 19th. LeBron James tallied a team-high 31 points to go along a game-high 12 assists, Kyle Kuzma added 21, while Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 20 apiece. James (25.2 PPG, 10.7 APG) should be able to post similar numbers tomorrow night.

Anthony Davis (26.8 PPG, 8 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 61.5 FG% in his last four), meanwhile, is poised to deliver damage on the Rockets’ undersized frontcourt.

ROAD TEAM: Houston Rockets (32-18, 14-11 on the road)

The Rockets enter the game having won three in a row with averages of 123.3 points and 19 threes per game. It’s just the confidence builder that they need while trying to avenge the prior loss to the Lakers.

Stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook scored 35 and 34 points in the previous encounter, respectively, but were left alone by an almost non-existent supporting cast. No other starter scored in double figures, and the other two bench guys that did – Eric Gordon and Danuel House – only shot a combined 8-for-23 from the floor (5-for-17 from three).

It’s always easy to expect Harden and Westbrook dropping 30-plus. Hopefully, though, the rest can provide ample support. Robert Covington (12.8 PPG, 6.8 RPPG, 1.7 SPG, 2.3 3PG), who’s now in his second stint with the Rockets, is a new addition in a trade for Clint Capela. We’ll see if he can fit right in smoothly.

PREDICTION:

Harden and Westbrook will get their stats, but I expect Anthony Davis to have a big night as he should be able to tower over the Rockets. The Lakers win, 120-114.