LeBron’s all‑around Game 1

LeBron James ran the Lakers’ offense in Game 1, stacking assists and rebounds as Los Angeles opened its first-round series with a 107-98 win over Houston. (espn.com) James finished Saturday, April 18, with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 13 assists and 2 steals in 38 minutes, while shooting 9-for-15 from the field. The Lakers led the series 1-0 after the win at Crypto.com Arena. (espn.com) The box score showed how much of the Lakers’ attack flowed through him: James had the game-high 13 assists, and ESPN’s play-by-play recap noted he piled up eight assists in the first quarter alone. (espn.com) Los Angeles needed that playmaking because Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves both missed the opener with injuries, leaving James to organize a short-handed lineup. Luke Kennard scored a playoff-career-high 27 points, and Deandre Ayton added 19 points and 11 rebounds. (espn.com) Houston also entered Game 1 short-handed after Kevin Durant was ruled out with a bruised right knee, and the Rockets shot 37.6% in the loss. The Lakers shot 60.6%, according to ESPN’s recap. (espn.com) James said after the game that the Lakers had to “do a little bit more” without their missing scorers, and the stat line matched that description. At age 41, he was the team’s primary passer, a secondary scorer and one of its most active defenders in the opener. (espn.com) The schedule now puts extra weight on that all-around opener. Game 2 is set for Tuesday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. Pacific in Los Angeles, with the Lakers trying to take a 2-0 lead before the series shifts to Houston. (nba.com)