LeBron’s big Game 2
- The Lakers took a 2-0 playoff lead after Game 2, closing out a home win. (x.com) - LeBron James scored 28 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and handed out 7 assists in that game. (x.com) - The early 2-0 edge raises pressure on the opponent to avoid a quick series hole. (x.com)
LeBron James put the Lakers up 2-0 in their first-round series by leading a 101-94 Game 2 win over the Houston Rockets on April 21 in Los Angeles. (nba.com) James finished with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 39 minutes, and he scored nine points in the fourth quarter. (nba.com) The Lakers opened the series with a 107-98 win on April 18, so they now head to Houston with two home victories in hand. Game 3 is listed for April 26 at Toyota Center. (espn.com, espn.com) Los Angeles has done it while short-handed. The Associated Press recap carried by ESPN said the Lakers were without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves again in Game 2. (espn.com) That changed the shape of the series from a star-depth matchup into another test of how much creation James can still supply at age 41. NBA.com listed him at 41 and described Game 2 as part of his 23rd season. (nba.com, nba.com) Houston also entered the series with a late change to its own pecking order. ESPN’s Game 1 recap said the Lakers capitalized on Kevin Durant’s injury absence in the opener, and Game 2 marked Durant’s return. (espn.com, espn.com) Durant scored 23 points in Game 2, but James still led all scorers, and the Rockets were outscored 33-26 in the first quarter and 21-17 in the third. (espn.com) A 2-0 lead does not end a series, but it shifts the pressure to the lower-seeded Rockets before the next two games at home. The standings on ESPN list the Lakers as the No. 4 seed and Houston as the No. 5 seed in this Western Conference matchup. (nba.com, espn.com) For now, the series is being defined by a familiar equation: James controlling the game deep into April, and the Lakers needing two more wins to close out Houston. (nba.com, espn.com)
