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The Lakers are focusing on rebounding drills in preparation for their playoff series against the Rockets, who excelled in this area during the regular season. The Lakers averaged 41.0 rebounds per game, ranking them fourth-worst in the NBA.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) and Rockets center Clint Capela (30) battle for a rebound during a game last month in Houston. Ayton leads the Lakers in rebounding at 8.0 per game. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
Rebounding was not a strength of the Lakers over the course of the regular season. Rebounding was a strength of the Houston Rockets during the 2025-26 campaign.
So, on their first day of practice Tuesday for Game 1 of the playoffs Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers worked diligently on rebounding drills, knowing full well that will be one of the keys against the Rockets.
The Lakers were the fourth-worst rebounding team in the NBA, averaging 41.0 per game. The Rockets were the top rebounding team in the league, getting 48.1 overall and 15.0 on the offensive end.
And one of the Lakers' better rebounders, Luka Doncic, wonât be available because heâs dealing with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that he went to Spain for treatment. Doncic is second on the Lakers in rebounding at 7.7 per game. His starting backcourt mate, Austin Reaves, also is a good rebounder but he also wonât play because of a Grade 2 left oblique strain. Reaves is averaging 4.7 rebounds per game.
âTheyâre out indefinitely,â Lakers coach JJ Redick said about Doncic and Reaves.
Redick then gave a simple answer for how the Lakers have to deal with the Rockets in the best-of-seven series.
Read more: LeBron James takes the reins for Lakers entering playoffs
âAgain, taking care of the basketball and boxing out. Thatâs the series,â Redick said. âScheme, personnel, obviously important, but if we donât take care of the ball and we donât box out, weâre not gonna win the series.
âThey were No. 4 in scoring opportunities. We were No. 23, so we donât have the luxury with Luka and AR out of getting drilled in scoring opportunities every single game. We gotta box out. Weâre going to place an emphasis on every drill in practice. We started practice with boxing out today. You gotta put it in their minds. Thatâs literally the only thing we said about Houston today. Today was about us having a practice, getting sharp with our stuff. Tomorrow, weâll introduce [Rockets] personnel. Thursday weâll do our scout, as we would. Friday will be a reinforcement of that scout. Saturday weâll be good to go. Only thing we did today was box out.â
Lakers 7-foot backup center Jaxson Hayes will be counted to get rebounds. Heâll also spend time dealing with Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who averages 20.4 points and 8.9 rebounds (3.0 on offense) per game.
Hayes missed the last four games because of left foot soreness, but he was back at practice Tuesday.
âFeeling a lot better,â Hayes said. âIt's nice getting a few days off. Especially with my job, I jump a lot and I run a lot, so it's hard for me to rest something like that. Getting those days off was very much needed. Very helpful.â
When asked about the box-out drills the Lakers did at practice, Hayes recalled the last time he did such a thing.
Read more: How do the Lakers match up against the Houston Rockets entering their playoff series?
âDefinitely college, for sure,â Hayes said. âCollege days with those Texas bigs. Coaches start off the practice where you got to smack somebody. Obviously, we weren't trying to murder each other out on the boards, but definitely practicing that stuff. Houston is, I think, one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the past 20 years. So, just making sure we're ready for that.â
The Rockets are a physical team that also plays smothering defense.
Houston allowed 110.0 points per game during the regular season, the fourth-best defensive mark in the league, and held teams to 46.0% shooting, the sixth-best mark in the league.
For Lakers guard Marcus Smart, there is one way to compete with the Rockets on the backboards.
âWill. Will power,â Smart said. âWeâre competitors. Weâve been doing this for a while. Weâre doing that at the highest level, right? And theyâre going to try to come in and punk us. And if you will allow that, you will be punked. And I donât think we have any guys that are going to be punked on this team. So, we might not be the most athletic and strongest, but we got to have the most heart.â
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Lakers were the fourth-worst rebounding team, averaging 41.0 rebounds per game.
The Rockets were the top rebounding team, averaging 48.1 rebounds per game, including 15.0 offensive rebounds.
The Lakers are concentrating on rebounding drills to improve their performance against the Rockets.
Game 1 of the playoff series is scheduled for Saturday at Crypto.com Arena.

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