Lakers go up 2-0

The Lakers beat the Rockets 101-94 on Tuesday, April 21, to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference series. (espn.com) LeBron James finished with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in Game 2 at Crypto.com Arena. Marcus Smart scored 25 points, and Luke Kennard added 23 after dropping 27 in the series opener. (espn.com) (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Los Angeles won Game 1, 107-98, on Saturday, April 18, and has done it while shorthanded, with ESPN describing the Game 2 win as another short-handed Lakers result. The series now moves to Houston for Game 3 on Friday, April 24, with the Lakers up 2-0. (nba.com) (espn.com) (nba.com) Houston got Kevin Durant back for Game 2, but the Lakers put Smart on him for long stretches as part of the matchup plan ESPN highlighted after the game. The Rockets opened with 26 first-quarter points, then scored only 17 in the third as Los Angeles kept control. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) A 2-0 lead matters in a best-of-seven series because the higher-seeded team can put the lower seed on the edge before the matchup changes cities. The Lakers were 53-29 in the regular season and 28-13 at home, while Houston entered the playoffs at 52-30. (espn.com) The early West bracket has already started to split: the Oklahoma City Thunder also lead their series 2-0, while Denver and Minnesota are tied 1-1 and San Antonio and Portland are tied 1-1. Lakers-Rockets is one of the Western matchups back on the floor Friday. (nba.com) For Houston, the next two dates are now the hinge of the series: Game 3 is Friday, April 24, and Game 4 is Sunday, April 26, both at home. For Los Angeles, two home wins have turned the opener from an upset bid into a chance to take full control before the series swings back. (nba.com)