Player grades from Rockets’ comfortable win over the Los Angeles Lakers

Houston Rockets. JAMES HARDEN. A +. In a game where he would be the lone superstar in the game for the Houston Rockets, James Harden didn’t disappoint. Harden busted out the full arsenal of dazzling offensive moves while being a pest on defense. When the Lakers were making a late run, it was Harden who led the way to put them away for good. James ended the night with 39 points on 11-of-19 from the field and 5-of-10 from downtown. His 12 assists and eight rebounds were also team-highs by far.. Guard

ROBERT COVINGTON. B +. After some less-than-excellent performances in the bubble so far, Robert Covington was who we usually expect him to be against the Lakers. While allowing Harden and some of the other Rockets get theirs on offense, he found his spots well, scoring eight points on 2-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc. Defensively, he was everywhere — tallying three steals and three blocks, including another impressive “meet me at the rim” stuff against Dwight Howard.. Forward. Houston Rockets

At some point, teams are going to have to start reading the scouting report on Ben McLemore. While his role was expected to be limited when he was first signed, his hot shooting has rarely taken a break, and that continued Thursday night. McLemore hit half of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc to finish with 20 points. It’s shooters like Benn that are helping the Rockets remain one of the NBA’s most feared offenses.. Guard. Houston Rockets. BEN MCLEMORE. A

B +. On a night where he was asked to play 36 minutes to make up for the Rockets’ limited rotation, P.J. Tucker had a regular day at the office. Tasked with keeping Anthony Davis in check, Tucker did as well as anyone could do to keep him uncomfortable. Davis was visibly frustrated with his inability to take advantage of Houston’s small size, committing seven turnovers in the game. P.J. finished the game with six points, six rebounds, and two steals.. Forward. Houston Rockets. P.J. TUCKER

B -. Danuel Hous’s 3-point shot was off, but just about everyone else on the Rockets made up for it. While he went just 2-for-9 from downtown, House still made an impact by playing smart defense and getting buckets when plays found him in a good position. Danuel finished with 14 points, three rebounds, and one block.. Small Forward. Houston Rockets. DANUEL HOUSE