LeBron leads Lakers 2-0

LeBron James put the Lakers up 2-0 on April 21 with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a 101-94 Game 2 win over Houston. (espn.com) The Lakers won both home games in the Western Conference first round and did it again without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, who remained sidelined by injuries entering the series. (nba.com, espn.com) James played 39 minutes in Game 2 and went 8-for-20 from the field and 10-for-14 at the line, while Kevin Durant scored 23 points for Houston in the loss. (espn.com) A 2-0 lead changes the shape of a series because the higher-seeded team has protected home court and forced the lower seed to win four of the next five games. The Lakers were the No. 4 seed and Houston the No. 5 seed in this matchup. (nba.com, nba.com) The next game is Game 3 in Houston on Friday, April 24, at 8 p.m. Eastern, which gives the Rockets their first home game of the series and a chance to cut the deficit to 2-1. (nba.com) The Lakers had already beaten Houston 107-98 in Game 1 on April 18, when James finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and 13 assists. Through two playoff games, he is averaging 23.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists. (nba.com, espn.com) That production stands out because James is 41 and in his 22nd National Basketball Association season, and Los Angeles has needed his scoring and ballhandling with two primary creators out. (espn.com, nba.com) Houston now heads home down two games after scoring 94 points in Game 2 and 98 in Game 1, with the series shifting from Los Angeles to a Rockets team that went 30-11 at home in the regular season. (espn.com, nba.com) For now, the story is simple: the Lakers held serve in Los Angeles, and James gave them another playoff line big enough to send the series to Houston on his terms. (nba.com, espn.com)