Lakers take Game 1
- The Lakers won their Game 1 playoff opener with LeBron James recording 19 points, 13 assists and 8 rebounds. (x.com) - Luke Kennard sank back-to-back three-pointers late to help close out the victory. (x.com) - The NBA first round began April 18 and the full postseason bracket and schedule are now set. (espn.com)
Los Angeles opened its first-round series by beating Houston 107-98 on Saturday night, taking a 1-0 lead at Crypto.com Arena. (espn.com) Luke Kennard scored a career playoff-high 27 points for the Lakers, and LeBron James added 19 points, 13 assists, 8 rebounds and 2 steals with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out. (espn.com) Kennard hit back-to-back three-pointers late in the fourth quarter to help finish the game, while the Lakers outscored Houston 25-18 in the third quarter after leading 50-48 at halftime. (espn.com) Houston entered as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, and Los Angeles was the No. 4 seed after finishing the regular season at 53-29. The result gave the Lakers home-court control at the start of a series that resumes Tuesday, April 21, in Los Angeles. (nba.com) (espn.com) The opener landed on the first full day of the 2026 National Basketball Association playoffs, which began Saturday, April 18, with four Game 1s on the schedule. The full first-round bracket was set after the play-in tournament earlier in the week. (espn.com) (nba.com) The matchup also turned on who was unavailable. ESPN reported that Kevin Durant did not play for Houston because of injury, leaving the Rockets short a primary scorer in their playoff opener. (espn.com) James said he had to do “a little bit of everything” with the Lakers missing two of their usual creators, and Los Angeles got that balance from a 40-year-old lead playmaker and a reserve guard who kept making shots. (espn.com) Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday night, with the Lakers trying to turn one short-handed win into a firmer grip on the series before it shifts to Houston. (nba.com)
