Lakers go up 2-0
- The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets to take a 2-0 lead in their first‑round series. - LeBron James, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart combined for 76 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists. - Kevin Durant returned for Houston, but the Lakers still closed out Game 2 and now lead the series ( ).
The Lakers beat the Rockets 101-94 on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, taking a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference series. (nba.com) (espn.com) LeBron James finished with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Marcus Smart scored 25 points with five 3-pointers and Luke Kennard added 23 points. The three Lakers combined for 76 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists. (espn.com) (nba.com) Houston got Kevin Durant back in the starting lineup after he missed Game 1, and he scored 23 points with six rebounds and four assists in 41 minutes. Alperen Sengun added 20 points and 11 rebounds, but the Rockets shot 7-for-29 from 3-point range. (rocketswire.usatoday.com) (espn.com) The Lakers took control early with a 33-point first quarter and never lost the game after building that opening cushion. Houston cut into the lead, but Los Angeles matched the Rockets 26-26 in the fourth to close it out. (espn.com) (nba.com) The result puts Houston in a familiar playoff hole: teams that win the first two games of a best-of-seven National Basketball Association series have historically advanced the vast majority of the time. Game 3 shifts to Houston on Friday, April 24. (nba.com) (apnews.com) Los Angeles is doing it while short-handed. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were listed inactive for Game 1, and the Lakers still opened the series with a 107-98 win before following it with another win in Game 2. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) That has pushed role players into bigger jobs, and Smart answered again after arriving as a defensive guard with playoff experience. Kennard, a career outside shooter, has now given Los Angeles 50 points across the first two games after scoring 27 in Game 1 and 23 in Game 2. (nba.com) (espn.com) Houston entered the series as the West’s No. 5 seed after a 52-30 regular season, while the Lakers finished 53-29 and took the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage. Two home wins later, that edge has held. (espn.com) (nba.com) The series now turns to Texas with the Rockets needing a response at home and the Lakers two wins from the second round. Friday’s Game 3 is the first chance to see whether Houston’s lineup with Durant can change a series that has tilted quickly toward Los Angeles. (nba.com) (apnews.com)
