LOS ANGELES — Chris Paul warmly greeted Andre Ingram when the 32-year-old guards both arrived at the Staples Center scorers' table to check in. Although they were born six months apart, Paul was in his 892nd regular-season game, while Ingram was making his NBA debut.
"I told him I heard about his story, and that grind is unbelievable," Paul said. "I told him, 'Much respect.' I mean, 10 years grinding in the G League, to finally get an opportunity and to play like that, it's pretty special."
After a decade in the minors, Ingram seized the chance to live his long-deferred dream by scoring 19 points for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Paul and the Houston Rockets were impressed, even if they still came out on top.
Paul scored 22 points and James Harden had 21 points and 10 assists in the Rockets' 105-99 victory Tuesday night (Wednesday Manila time).
The Rockets kept steamrolling toward the playoffs with their 31st victory in 34 games — but everybody was watching Ingram, the slim shooter with salt-and-pepper hair who hit four 3-pointers for the Lakers in an NBA debut that would have been undeniably impressive even if he hadn't been waiting his entire professional life for it.
"It was excellent," Ingram said with a broad grin. "Once we went out as a team for warmups, I just felt some electricity out there. It was amazing. The crowd, the lights, it was just once in a lifetime. It was awesome."
Los Angeles promoted Ingram from its South Bay affiliate for the final two games of another dismal Lakers regular season, and the G League's career leader in 3-pointers hit a 3 on his first NBA shot.
"I tried not to think about the first one going down," Ingram said. "But to a man, everyone was like, 'When you get it, just let it go!' All the players, all the coaches. It was crazy. To see that first one go in, I felt great."
After a few more baskets, the sellout crowd moved from charitable support to full-throated roars, including chants of "M-V-P!" that brought a smile to Ingram's face. Ingram had flown his wife and two daughters in from Virginia to watch the culmination of their work.
"To play the way he played, that's the stuff that dreams are made of," said Lakers center Brook Lopez, who scored 12 points. "Just an inspirational story. He belonged out there."
Ingram's fourth 3-pointer with 51 seconds left trimmed Houston's lead to 102-99, but the Lakers couldn't score again. Ingram finished 6 for 8 from the field and 4 for 5 on 3-pointers along with three rebounds, three blocked shots and a steal.
"That's a testament to hard work, never giving up, and just sticking with it," said Julius Randle, who scored 17 points.
Gerald Green scored 16 points as Houston hung on late to avoid its first back-to-back losses since January 6. But in the first half, the Rockets lost backup forward Luc Mbah a Moute to a dislocated right shoulder while dunking in this meaningless game.
Mbah a Moute will have an MRI exam Wednesday.
"With Luc, it's tough, but we can't take it back now," Paul said. "We've just got to pick it up by committee. ... Luc has been unbelievably important. Just his spirit, the way he plays, he defends, rebounds, runs, all that stuff."
Rookie Josh Hart scored 20 points for the Lakers, who played without injured Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma in the penultimate game of their franchise-record fifth consecutive losing season.