Rockets beat Lakers in Game 4, stave off 0‑4 sweep

The Houston Rockets kept their season alive Sunday night, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 115-96 in Game 4 of their first-round series. (espn.com) (nba.com) Amen Thompson led Houston with 23 points, and Tari Eason scored 20 as the Rockets avoided elimination after falling behind 3-0 in the series. (espn.com) Houston led 56-40 at halftime and then broke the game open by outscoring Los Angeles 34-18 in the third quarter. (espn.com) (nba.com) The Rockets were still without Kevin Durant, who missed his third straight game, and won with a balanced attack instead of a late comeback. (espn.com) (nba.com) Los Angeles had entered the night one win from a sweep after taking Games 1, 2 and 3. Game 3 had gone to overtime before the Lakers moved within one victory of the second round. (nba.com) LeBron James came into Game 4 as the Lakers' series leader at 21.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game, but Houston controlled the matchup from the start. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) The result sends the series back to Los Angeles for Game 5 on Wednesday, April 29, with the Lakers still leading 3-1. (nba.com) (espn.com)