LeBron powers Lakers

LeBron James put up 28 points Tuesday night, and the Lakers beat Houston 101-94 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. (apnews.com) James added eight rebounds and seven assists in 39 minutes at Crypto.com Arena on April 21, while the Lakers shot 46% from the field and 46% from 3-point range. Houston shot 24% from deep and committed 15 turnovers. (espn.ph) The Lakers got 25 points from Luka Dončić and 23 from Austin Reaves, giving them three scorers with at least 23 points in Game 2. The crowd of 19,057 watched Los Angeles hold Houston to 17 points in the third quarter and keep control late. (espn.ph) The series shifted when Los Angeles protected home court twice after finishing the regular season 53-29 and earning the West’s No. 4 seed. Houston entered as the No. 5 seed at 52-30, so the next two games now move to Toyota Center with the Rockets trailing. (nba.com) James is listed as 41 on ESPN’s player page, and his Game 2 line pushed his series averages to 23.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists through two games. At this stage of his career, the Lakers are still running offense through him in long playoff stretches. (espn.com) One play from the third quarter became the night’s defining image: James drove baseline and finished a reverse windmill dunk that NBA and social clips replayed from multiple angles. The official highlight video labeled it a dunk “at 41” and showed it giving the Lakers the lead in the third. (youtube.com) The next game is Friday, April 24, in Houston at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, with Los Angeles up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. NBA.com’s series page lists Game 4 for Sunday, April 26, if Houston extends the matchup. (nba.com)