Rockets-Lakers: How LeBron James is carrying L.A. without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves

Dan DevineThu, April 23, 2026 at 7:14 PM UTC

0

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 21: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets during Round One Game Two of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

When the Los Angeles Lakers lost Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, their top two scorers during the regular season, just two weeks before the start of the 2026 NBA playoffs, it seemed like a fatal blow to their chances of not only contending for the NBA title, but of even making it out of the opening round of the postseason. A 3-2 finish after losing Dončić and Reaves — with the wins coming over the Warriors minus Stephen Curry, the Suns minus Devin Booker, and the Jazz minus an NBA roster — did little to dispel that notion; a matchup against a tough, physical Houston Rockets team with a top-five defense and plenty of youth and athleticism on the wing seemed like one the Lakers wouldn’t survive.

Advertisement

They’re doing a hell of a lot more than surviving, taking the first twogames of their opening-round matchup and leaving the Rockets looking overmatched and shell-shocked heading into Game 3 back in Houston on Friday. There are plenty of reasons for that: Kevin Durant missing Game 1 and the Lakers haranguing him into nine turnovers in Game 2; Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart shooting a combined 19-for-33 (57.6%) from 3-point range through two games; Deandre Ayton holding Alperen Şengün to just 5-for-19 shooting when they’ve been matched up; etc.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Sports”