Rockets deny Lakers sweep
- Houston beat the Los Angeles Lakers 115-96 in Game 4 on Sunday, avoiding a first-round sweep and sending the Western Conference series back west. - Amen Thompson scored 23 points, Tari Eason added 20, and Houston forced 23 Lakers turnovers while winning without injured Kevin Durant again. - Los Angeles still leads 3-1, with Game 5 set for Wednesday in California. (nba.com)
Houston kept its season alive Sunday night, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 115-96 in Game 4 and stopping a first-round sweep. (nba.com) (espn.com) Amen Thompson led Houston with 23 points, and Tari Eason scored 20 as the Rockets built a 56-47 halftime lead and never gave it back. (espn.com) (usnews.com) Houston won despite missing Kevin Durant for a third straight game, with NBA.com listing him as still injured after he sat out Game 3 with an ankle issue. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) The Lakers helped fuel the result with 23 turnovers, and LeBron James had eight of them in 33 minutes. Los Angeles scored only 18 points in the third quarter while Houston pushed the margin into double digits. (upi.com) (espn.com) Deandre Ayton finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers before he was ejected. The loss ended Los Angeles' chance to finish the series in four games after taking the first three. (ocregister.com) (nba.com) The series now shifts back to Los Angeles for Game 5 on Wednesday, April 29, with the Lakers still leading 3-1. Houston needs three straight wins to advance; Los Angeles needs one. (nba.com)
