The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of their playoff series, winning decisively after a strong 27-3 run. The Lakers' improved pace and defense led to a dominant performance, eliminating the Rockets from the playoffs.
Key points
Lakers won Game 6 against the Rockets
Lakers had a 27-3 scoring run
Lakers shot 42.9% from 3-point range
Rockets struggled with shooting, hitting 35% overall
Los Angeles LakersHouston RocketsAlperen Sengun
The Los Angeles Lakers shocked the basketball world by winning each of the first three games of their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets. At that point, it looked like it was a lock that they would finish off the Rockets. But the Rockets won the next two games to stay alive, and suddenly the Lakers were in trouble with Game 6 taking place in Houston on Friday.
Early on, it looked like there would perhaps be a Game 7. Houston went up 16-11 with 5:13 left in the first quarter, and the crowd at the Toyota Center was supplying the positive energy Alperen Sengun and crew needed. But that was when the Rockets were hit with a huge Purple and Gold sledgehammer.
The Lakers went on a monstrous 27-3 run that extended well into the second quarter, giving them a 38-19 lead. From that point on, to borrow a phrase from late great Lakers play-by-play man Chick Hearn, this game was in the refrigerator. Houston was never able to hit its shots or generate any type of real offense, and L.A. consistently maintained its intensity and kept the pressure on.
Los Angeles played with more pace than it did in any of the prior five games of this series, and its transition defense was also excellent, allowing it to establish a 19-8 edge in fast-break points. The team was also a plus-nine in rebounds, and in a reversal of a concerning trend, it limited itself to 11 turnovers. It shot 42.9% from 3-point range, while the Rockets were just 5-of-28 from that distance and 35% overall from the field.
It all added up to a 98-78 decision in favor of the Lakers. When this series began, virtually no one picked them to win it, but now, it has officially shown something, not just in terms of strategy and execution, but especially in terms of grit, resolve and resourcefulness.
The Lakers will need all the grit, resolve and resourcefulness they can generate, because they will be going up against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round of the playoffs.
Q&A
What was the final score of the Lakers vs. Rockets Game 6?
The final score of Game 6 between the Lakers and Rockets was not provided in the excerpt.
How did the Lakers perform in the first round against the Rockets?
The Lakers won the first round playoff series against the Rockets, winning four games to two.
What key factors contributed to the Lakers' victory in Game 6?
Key factors included a 27-3 run, strong transition defense, and effective shooting from beyond the arc.
Who were the standout players for the Lakers in Game 6?
The excerpt does not specify individual standout players for the Lakers in Game 6.
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Smart was ineffective offensively. While he made two of his four 3-point attempts, he missed all three of his 2-point attempts and scored seven points with just one assist in 35 minutes. But defensively, he made enough of an impact with two steals and two blocks, and he also drew a charging foul.
Ayton took just six shot attempts, made two of them and scored seven points in 28 minutes. But he was huge on the boards with 16 rebounds, and he continued to play excellent positional defense on Sengun. Sengun, the Rockets' two-time All-Star center, had 17 points on 5-of-12 shooting and committed four turnovers.
At times during the regular season, Ayton was criticized and even scapegoated for allegedly lacking effort and intensity. But his effort and intensity were very strong for most of this series. The Lakers wouldn't have prevailed without him.
Hachimura spent much of the evening throwing in great balls of fire from the outside. He made five of his seven 3-point tries and shot 8-of-15 overall from the field, giving him 21 points. It got to the point where, when he missed from beyond the arc, it was a surprise.
In 35 minutes, the forward also had six rebounds, two assists and one block.
Reaves returned to the starting lineup on Friday in his second game back from an oblique strain. After shooting 4-of-16 in Game 5, he looked more like his old self in Game 6. While he missed all four of his 3-point attempts, he was 7-of-14 from the field overall, giving him 17 points in 31 minutes. Reaves also contributed three rebounds, two assists and a surprising three blocks.
The Lakers needed James to show leadership in this game from the very beginning, and that's exactly what he did.
He led from the front with his actions, and his teammates looked to get him the ball in the low post early, which was a strategy that worked well in Game 1. He scored 14 points in the second quarter and was the biggest impetus behind the Lakers establishing the big lead they would never relinquish or even let diminish.
James shot just 10-of-25 from the field, as he coasted after halftime. But he made half of his 14 shot attempts in the first half, and he finished with 28 points, eight points and seven rebounds. He did a better job of creating transition opportunities and overall pace in this game than he did in the prior five contests, and it was a sign of the overall aggression, focus and killer instinct he brought to Houston.
Right after LaRavia entered the game, he hit a corner 3-pointer, breaking a string of seven straight games in which he didn't hit a single triple. He gave the Lakers a nice boost with seven points on 3-of-5 shooting in the first half, and while he was scoreless on 0-of-3 shooting afterward, he did his job well enough.
LaRavia played 16 minutes in all, and he also helped out with five rebounds and one block.
Kennard has now been ineffective for four games in a row after starting this series on a heater. On Friday, he made just one of his six shot attempts, giving him three points, but he did have three rebounds, three assists and one steal in 29 minutes.
In 17 minutes, Hayes produced five points, four rebounds and one assist, and his defense was very solid. He blocked one shot and made the effort to protect the rim, and he played good low-post defense on Sengun.
Knecht, Thiero, Smith and the younger James played the final 3:07 of this game. Smith hit a 3-pointer while missing all three of his other field-goal attempts, Thiero had a thunderous put-back slam, and Knecht and the younger James went scoreless. Knecht, Thiero and the younger James had one rebound apiece, and the younger James also logged one assist and one steal on a nice interception in the backcourt.
