Blake proves he belongs with Lakers

The move paid off so well — between Brown harassing Houston into turnovers on the defensive end and Blake ending the quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers that cut the Rockets' lead to 82-77 — that Jackson stuck with the combination for the final 14:41 of the game.

Which left Blake in position to script the perfect finish to his Lakers debut — a Hollywood ending that not even he anticipated.

"You just get ready to play every night," Blake said. "You never know what's going to come. Definitely didn't expect to hit a late-game shot like that, but I was definitely ready for it. I'm just glad it ended the way it did … with a win."