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The Los Angeles Lakers secured a 98-78 victory over the Houston Rockets, clinching their playoff series. Key performances from players like LeBron James and Austin Reaves highlighted the team's leadership and resilience.
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Austin Reaves, left, celebrates with LeBron James during the second half of the Lakers' 98-78 win over the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference quarterfinals on Friday night. (Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
Marcus Smartâs block. LeBron Jamesâ dominant second quarter. Deandre Aytonâs relentless rebounding.
The individual performances in the Lakersâ ugly, but decisive 98-78 series-clinching win over the Houston Rockets on Friday were almost too numerous for coach JJ Redick to focus on each one.
That collective spirit is also what makes him so confident heading into the Lakers' first Western Conference semifinal appearance since 2023.
âFor us to be written off a few weeks ago and to win a playoff series is a big deal,â Redick said after the Lakers polished off their first-round playoff series in six games. âAnd it just speaks to the character of our team and the leaders of our team. They didn't let go of the rope.â
The Lakers won the playoff game against the Rockets with a score of 98-78.
LeBron James and Austin Reaves were among the standout players in the Lakers' decisive victory.
The Lakers last reached the Western Conference semifinals in 2023.
The head coach of the Lakers is JJ Redick.
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After winning a series in which they were underdogs for every game they won, the Lakers return to the scene of their lowest moment to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals beginning Tuesday.
The last time they were in Oklahoma City, the Lakers lost by 43 points. Their two best players sustained regular-season ending injuries, with news of Luka Doncicâs hamstring injury and Austin Reavesâ oblique strain coming on consecutive days after the loss. Still dazed from the emotional hangover, the Lakers lost their next two games.
âThere was a lot of question marks,â Reaves said. âAnd just the way that we responded as a group, I think it just tells you a lot about the people that we have in our room. There's no quit.â
The Lakers finished the regular season with three consecutive wins. They leapt out to a 3-0 series lead against Houston before letting doubt creep in again. After the Lakers squandered two chances to end the series, including a disappointing home loss Wednesday when Reaves returned from injury, critics wondered if the Lakers would really be the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 playoff lead.
James wouldnât allow it.
The superstar forward dominated with 28 points on 10-of-25 shooting, seven rebounds and eight assists. He outscored the Rockets by himself in the second quarter 14-13 as the Lakers went on a 27-3 run to open a 19-point lead.
âWe understand that he's the guy that brings energy, but also we have to help him,â forward Rui Hachimura said, âespecially you know, he's old now.â
Hachimura tried to suppress a smile.
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura blocks a shot by Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. during the first half of Game 6. (Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
The Japanese forward did his part with 21 points, including five three-pointers. Smart leapt for a jaw-dropping block against 6-foot-8 Tari Eason and drew three charges. Ayton had 16 rebounds, helping the Lakers outrebound the best rebounding team of a generation 54-45.
Ayton, often maligned for his inconsistent effort, has been a force in the postseason, averaging 11.8 points and 10.8 rebounds while often guarding Rockets All-Star Alperen Sengun one-on-one.
âHe's been saying it all year: 'Wait till I get to the playoffs,'" Smart said of Ayton. âIt's a different side of him that fans haven't seen, that we expect, that we know he can give. He knows it and he's ready.â
In his second game back from injury, Reaves had 15 points on seven-of-14 shooting with three blocks. He missed all four of his three-point attempts, still searching for his shooting rhythm after a long layoff. But the way Reaves attacked his treatment and returned before the typical four- to six-week timeline was his own form of leadership, Redick said.
Reaves sometimes left his house at 7:30 a.m. and didnât return until more than 12 hours later. He drove all over L.A. looking for different treatment options. He did everything short of following Doncic to Europe, Reaves joked.
Doncicâs status is still unknown for the beginning of the conference semifinals. He has yet to progress to live play on the court, although he recently started incorporating movement into his on-court drills instead of just stationary shooting. He is still out indefinitely.
Without the star point guard, the Lakers could confidently turn to James to steer them through choppy waters. He averaged 22.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.3 assists in the first-round series. At one point during Fridayâs game, Reaves approached him to just tell him his performance was âinsane.â
âI don't think you can say in words how special he was,â Reaves said, ânot just tonight but this series, this year."
In the locker room after the game when the Lakers prepared to break their last huddle, the lights suddenly clicked off. Players started bleating, serenading James with sounds deserving of the G.O.A.T. â greatest of all time.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.