LOS ANGELES -- Dorian Finney-Smith will make his Houston Rockets debut on this evening against the Los Angeles Lakers, head coach Ime Udoka said. The forward will come off the bench and be limited to 15 minutes of playing time in his first game since April 30.

We think the Rox have their work cut out for them if the Lakers' biggest star plays, but if not, this tilt could go either way.

The LA Lakers absorbed a massive blowout on Christmas Day, yielding to the Houston Rockets, 119-96. It was the Lakers' third straight loss of the season, which dropped them to the fifth seed with a 19-10 record.

Lakers’ title hopes questioned after Suns loss as Kendrick Perkins says LA isn’t legit, slams defense and JJ Redick’s coaching approach

From the Dodgers’ back-to-back World Series titles to LeBron James’ historic streak ending and Luka Dončić’s shocking trade to the Lakers, relive the top 15 moments that defined Los Angeles sports in 2025.

BOTTOM LINE: Utah hosts the Los Angeles Lakers after the Jazz took down the Dallas Mavericks 140-133 in overtime. The Jazz are 6-11 in conference matchups. Utah allows the most points in the Western Conference, giving up 126.1 points and is allowing opponents to shoot 48.8%.

Christmas Day 2025 sees the Lakers host the Rockets in a crucial Western Conference clash. Both teams are battling losing streaks and significant injury concerns. Luka Doncic's availability for the Lakers is uncertain,

The Houston Rockets face the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, with tip-off set for 8 p.m. ET.

Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason made the most out of his opportunity as he had a solid performance versus the Los Angeles Lakers.