Game Center

HOU

Rockets

94-101

Final

LAL

Lakers

LeBron scores 28, leads short-handed Lakers past Durant's Rockets again 101-94 for 2-0 series lead

By AP•Apr 22, 2026

Game Recap

Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers: Game Highlights

LOS ANGELES -- — LeBron James had 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Houston Rockets for a 101-94 victory Tuesday night and a stunning 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Marcus Smart had 25 points with five 3-pointers and seven assists for the Lakers, who have twice overcome the absences of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves with a comprehensive team effort led by the 41-year-old James. Los Angeles did it in Game 2 despite the return of Kevin Durant, who scored just three of his 23 points in the second half against the Lakers' tenacious defense.

“We executed the game plan offensively and defensively, shored up some of our mistakes from Game 1, and just got into a dogfight,” James said. “When we have two big guns out like we have, we've all got to pick up our play, and that's all it's about. We're all just trying to make contributions on offense and seize the opportunity.”

Luke Kennard scored 23 points for Los Angeles, which nursed a small lead throughout the fourth quarter of Game 2. Smart found James streaking down the lane for a theatrical two-handed dunk with 55 seconds left, and Kennard added two late free throws to ice it.

Game 3 is Friday in Houston.

Alperen Sengun had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who again struggled offensively even with Durant making his Houston playoff debut. Jabari Smith Jr. scored 18 points and Amen Thompson had 16, but the Rockets made only 40.4% of their shots and managed just seven 3-pointers.

Three days after he missed the series opener with a right knee bruise, Durant took only 12 shots and had nine turnovers to begin his fourth career playoff matchup against James. The superstars previously met in the NBA Finals in 2012, 2017 and 2018.

“They started doubling me from possession one,” Durant said. “I’ve got to do better and not put my teammates in bad positions when I’m swinging the ball. ... We're just not making shots, to be honest. We're not shooting the ball well. We're missing a lot of layups. I just think that's the difference in the game. They're making shots. Smart was the guy that knocked down shots for them today. Kennard, too.”

Durant blocked Kennard’s shot on the first possession of Game 2, but then got in early foul trouble while the Lakers again streaked to a large first-half lead.

The Lakers are getting exceptional postseason play from Smart, the longtime Celtics guard who joined Los Angeles this season. Although he missed much of the regular-season stretch run due to injury, Smart has immediately added toughness and playmaking acumen to the Lakers' supporting cast.

“He just had a killer game tonight,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of Smart. “He did a great job defensively. He made shots. He's an unbelievable player.”

Both Smart and Kennard went 8 for 13 from the field, combining for eight 3-pointers..

------

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Series Context

Playoff Series and Prior Meetings

Full meeting history and series status so you can track momentum before tip-off and after the final whistle.

LAL lead series 2-0

Playoff Series

HOU at LAL

Sun, Apr 19

98 - 107

Final

HOU at LAL

Wed, Apr 22

94 - 101

Final

LAL at HOU

Sat, Apr 25

112 - 108

Final

LAL at HOU

Mon, Apr 27

96 - 115

Final

HOU at LAL

Thu, Apr 30

99 - 93

Final

LAL at HOU

Sat, May 2

98 - 78

Final

LAL win series 2-1

Regular Season Series

HOU at LAL

Fri, Dec 26

119 - 96

Final

LAL at HOU

Tue, Mar 17

100 - 92

Final

LAL at HOU

Thu, Mar 19

124 - 116

Final

Statistics visualization

Game Analysis

Head-to-head production and efficiency

Game Stats

HOU

LAL

36-89FG33-72

40Field Goal %46

7-293PT13-28

24Three Point %46

15-19FT22-28

17Offensive Rebounds9

25Defensive Rebounds28

23Assists21

8Steals11

6Blocks5

15Turnovers12

0Technical Fouls0

16Points Conceded Off Turnovers15

20Fast Break Points17

22Fouls20

4Largest Lead15

Match Leaders

Recent plays and game events

Play By Play

1st Quarter

TIME	PLAY	LAL	HOU
12:00	Alperen Sengun vs. Deandre Ayton (Rui Hachimura gains possession)	0	0
11:34	Kevin Durant blocks Luke Kennard 's 17-foot fade away jump shot	0	0
11:31	Alperen Sengun defensive rebound	0	0
11:27	Alperen Sengun misses running layup	0	0
11:27	Alperen Sengun offensive rebound	0	0
11:24	Jabari Smith Jr. makes 23-foot three point jumper (Alperen Sengun assists)	0	3
11:03	Marcus Smart misses two point shot	0	3
11:01	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	0	3
10:48	Josh Okogie misses 25-foot three point jumper	0	3
10:45	Kevin Durant offensive rebound	0	3
10:43	Kevin Durant bad pass turnover (LeBron James steals)	0	3
10:37	LeBron James makes two point shot	2	3
10:11	Amen Thompson makes 6-foot fade away jump shot (Jabari Smith Jr. assists)	2	5
9:58	Marcus Smart makes driving layup	4	5
9:58	Amen Thompson shooting foul	4	5
9:58	Marcus Smart makes free throw 1 of 1	5	5
9:50	Kevin Durant lost ball turnover (Marcus Smart steals)	5	5
9:47	Kevin Durant shooting foul	5	5
9:47	LeBron James misses free throw 1 of 2	5	5
9:47	Lakers offensive team rebound	5	5
9:47	LeBron James makes free throw 2 of 2	6	5
9:24	Josh Okogie misses layup	6	5
9:21	Josh Okogie offensive rebound	6	5
9:21	Josh Okogie makes tip shot	6	7
9:10	LeBron James double dribble turnover	6	7
8:56	Amen Thompson bad pass turnover (Marcus Smart steals)	6	7
8:51	Rui Hachimura misses 25-foot running jump shot	6	7
8:47	Kevin Durant defensive rebound	6	7
8:42	Kevin Durant makes 11-foot pullup jump shot	6	9
8:23	Marcus Smart makes 27-foot three pointer (LeBron James assists)	9	9
8:00	Alperen Sengun misses 7-foot floating jump shot	9	9
7:57	Rui Hachimura defensive rebound	9	9
7:49	Marcus Smart makes 27-foot three point jumper (LeBron James assists)	12	9
7:24	Kevin Durant makes 16-foot pullup jump shot	12	11
7:03	Marcus Smart misses 27-foot three point jumper	12	11
7:00	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	12	11
6:56	Kevin Durant makes 26-foot running pullup jump shot	12	14
6:40	LeBron James misses 29-foot three point jumper	12	14
6:38	Alperen Sengun defensive rebound	12	14
6:29	Alperen Sengun misses 7-foot two point shot	12	14
6:27	Deandre Ayton defensive rebound	12	14
6:10	LeBron James out of bounds lost ball turnover	12	14
6:10	Lakers Full timeout	12	14
6:10	Tari Eason enters the game for Jabari Smith Jr.	12	14
5:54	Amen Thompson makes 1-foot dunk (Tari Eason assists)	12	16
5:32	Marcus Smart makes 24-foot three point jumper (Luke Kennard assists)	15	16
5:10	Alperen Sengun makes 8-foot two point shot (Amen Thompson assists)	15	18
4:46	Luke Kennard makes 20-foot pullup jump shot (Deandre Ayton assists)	17	18
4:36	Amen Thompson makes 3-foot two point shot	17	20
4:14	LeBron James makes 15-foot two point shot	19	20
3:55	Alperen Sengun misses 8-foot two point shot	19	20
3:54	LeBron James defensive rebound	19	20
3:49	LeBron James bad pass turnover (Kevin Durant steals)	19	20
3:45	Luke Kennard shooting foul	19	20
3:45	Kevin Durant makes free throw 1 of 2	19	21
3:45	Jake LaRavia enters the game for Deandre Ayton	19	21
3:45	Jaxson Hayes enters the game for LeBron James	19	21
3:45	Clint Capela enters the game for Amen Thompson	19	21
3:45	Jabari Smith Jr. enters the game for Josh Okogie	19	21
3:45	Reed Sheppard enters the game for Alperen Sengun	19	21
3:45	Kevin Durant makes free throw 2 of 2	19	22
3:33	Luke Kennard makes 10-foot fade away jump shot	21	22
3:08	Kevin Durant makes 12-foot pullup jump shot (Reed Sheppard assists)	21	24
2:57	Luke Kennard makes 26-foot three pointer (Marcus Smart assists)	24	24
2:36	Marcus Smart personal foul	24	24
2:36	Rockets Full timeout	24	24
2:36	Jarred Vanderbilt enters the game for Marcus Smart	24	24
2:25	Clint Capela misses 2-foot reverse layup	24	24
2:24	Tari Eason offensive rebound	24	24
2:23	Tari Eason misses tip shot	24	24
2:22	Clint Capela offensive rebound	24	24
2:22	Clint Capela misses tip shot	24	24
2:22	Tari Eason offensive rebound	24	24
2:22	Tari Eason misses tip shot	24	24
2:21	Tari Eason makes tip shot	24	26
2:21	Tari Eason offensive rebound	24	26
1:55	shot clock turnover	24	24
1:38	Jaxson Hayes blocks Clint Capela 's 5-foot two point shot	24	26
1:36	Jarred Vanderbilt defensive rebound	24	26
1:33	Luke Kennard makes 26-foot running pullup jump shot (Jarred Vanderbilt assists)	27	26
1:14	Jarred Vanderbilt personal foul	27	26
1:14	LeBron James enters the game for Rui Hachimura	27	26
1:14	Amen Thompson enters the game for Reed Sheppard	27	26
1:05	Kevin Durant bad pass turnover (Jarred Vanderbilt steals)	27	26
1:00	Clint Capela blocks Jarred Vanderbilt 's 4-foot running dunk	27	26
59.7	Jaxson Hayes offensive rebound	27	26
59.7	Jabari Smith Jr. shooting foul	27	26
59.7	Jaxson Hayes makes free throw 1 of 2	28	26
59.7	Alperen Sengun enters the game for Clint Capela	28	26
59.7	Jaxson Hayes misses free throw 2 of 2	28	26
58.4	Tari Eason defensive rebound	28	26
41.4	Kevin Durant misses 18-foot two point shot	28	26
37.2	LeBron James defensive rebound	28	26
34.8	Luke Kennard misses 27-foot running jump shot	28	26
31.0	Jaxson Hayes offensive rebound	28	26
31.0	Alperen Sengun shooting foul	28	26
31.0	Jaxson Hayes makes free throw 1 of 2	29	26
31.0	Marcus Smart enters the game for Luke Kennard	29	26
31.0	Jaxson Hayes makes free throw 2 of 2	30	26
10.9	Tari Eason misses 26-foot jump bank shot	30	26
8.0	LeBron James defensive rebound	30	26
4.0	Kevin Durant shooting foul	30	26
4.0	LeBron James makes free throw 1 of 2	31	26
4.0	LeBron James misses free throw 2 of 2	31	26
2.9	Marcus Smart offensive rebound	31	26
2.9	Marcus Smart makes tip shot	33	26
0.2	Amen Thompson misses 34-foot three point pullup jump shot	33	26
0.1	Rockets offensive team rebound	33	26
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	33	26

2nd Quarter

TIME	PLAY	LAL	HOU
12:00	Bronny James enters the game for Marcus Smart	33	26
12:00	Aaron Holiday enters the game for Kevin Durant	33	26
12:00	Jae'Sean Tate enters the game for Tari Eason	33	26
11:35	Jabari Smith Jr. misses 8-foot pullup jump shot	33	26
11:33	Jarred Vanderbilt defensive rebound	33	26
11:28	LeBron James makes 27-foot running pullup jump shot	36	26
11:05	Jabari Smith Jr. out of bounds lost ball turnover	36	26
10:59	Jae'Sean Tate personal foul	36	26
10:46	LeBron James makes 27-foot three point jumper	39	26
10:25	Jabari Smith Jr. misses 28-foot three point jumper	39	26
10:24	Rockets offensive team rebound	39	26
10:24	LeBron James loose ball foul	39	26
10:16	Jabari Smith Jr. makes 26-foot three pointer (Alperen Sengun assists)	39	29
10:06	Bronny James lost ball turnover (Aaron Holiday steals)	39	29
10:03	Aaron Holiday misses 25-foot running jump shot	39	29
9:59	LeBron James defensive rebound	39	29
9:40	Bronny James misses driving floating jump shot	39	29
9:38	Alperen Sengun defensive rebound	39	29
9:36	Jake LaRavia blocks Amen Thompson's running layup	39	29
9:36	Lakers defensive team rebound	39	29
9:36	Deandre Ayton enters the game for Jaxson Hayes	39	29
9:17	Jarred Vanderbilt misses 23-foot three point jumper	39	29
9:14	Alperen Sengun defensive rebound	39	29
9:01	Alperen Sengun makes 7-foot two point shot	39	31
8:45	Jabari Smith Jr. blocks Deandre Ayton 's 4-foot driving floating jump shot	39	31
8:44	Lakers offensive team rebound	39	31
8:44	Marcus Smart enters the game for Bronny James	39	31
8:35	Deandre Ayton misses dunk	39	31
8:33	Aaron Holiday defensive rebound	39	31
8:26	Jae'Sean Tate misses 24-foot three point jumper	39	31
8:25	Rockets offensive team rebound	39	31
8:25	Marcus Smart loose ball foul	39	31
8:25	Rui Hachimura enters the game for Jake LaRavia	39	31
8:25	Luke Kennard enters the game for Jarred Vanderbilt	39	31
8:12	Aaron Holiday misses 28-foot three point pullup jump shot	39	31
8:08	Jae'Sean Tate offensive rebound	39	31
8:05	Jabari Smith Jr. misses 23-foot three point jumper	39	31
8:03	LeBron James defensive rebound	39	31
7:52	LeBron James misses 28-foot three point jumper	39	31
7:52	Rockets defensive team rebound	39	31
7:39	Aaron Holiday misses 27-foot three point pullup jump shot	39	31
7:34	LeBron James defensive rebound	39	31
7:31	Luke Kennard misses running pullup jump shot	39	31
7:28	Luke Kennard offensive rebound	39	31
7:15	Rui Hachimura makes 26-foot three point jumper (Marcus Smart assists)	42	31
6:58	Jabari Smith Jr. misses 11-foot jumper	42	31
6:58	Lakers defensive team rebound	42	31
6:58	Alperen Sengun loose ball foul	42	31
6:58	Lakers Full timeout	42	31
6:58	Jake LaRavia enters the game for LeBron James	42	31
6:58	Kevin Durant enters the game for Aaron Holiday	42	31
6:58	Josh Okogie enters the game for Amen Thompson	42	31
6:58	Reed Sheppard enters the game for Jae'Sean Tate	42	31
6:58	Clint Capela enters the game for Alperen Sengun	42	31
6:43	Rui Hachimura misses 8-foot turnaround jump shot	42	31
6:41	Clint Capela defensive rebound	42	31
6:29	Reed Sheppard misses driving floating jump shot	42	31
6:28	Rockets offensive team rebound	42	31
6:21	Reed Sheppard misses 30-foot three point jumper	42	31
6:18	Deandre Ayton defensive rebound	42	31
6:13	Luke Kennard makes running layup	44	31
5:43	Jabari Smith Jr. misses 22-foot pullup jump shot	44	31
5:41	Marcus Smart defensive rebound	44	31
5:34	Deandre Ayton makes 1-foot alley oop dunk (Marcus Smart assists)	46	31
5:26	Jabari Smith Jr. makes 23-foot three point jumper (Reed Sheppard assists)	46	34
5:04	Marcus Smart makes 27-foot three point jumper (Rui Hachimura assists)	49	34
5:03	Rockets Full timeout	49	34
5:03	Amen Thompson enters the game for Josh Okogie	49	34
5:03	Alperen Sengun enters the game for Clint Capela	49	34
4:52	Jake LaRavia shooting foul	49	34
4:52	Amen Thompson makes free throw 1 of 2	49	35
4:52	Amen Thompson makes free throw 2 of 2	49	36
4:33	Jake LaRavia bad pass turnover (Alperen Sengun steals)	49	36
4:27	Alperen Sengun makes two point shot (Amen Thompson assists)	49	38
4:11	Deandre Ayton misses layup	49	38
4:07	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	49	38
4:04	Reed Sheppard misses running pullup jump shot	49	38
4:02	Kevin Durant offensive rebound	49	38
4:00	Kevin Durant makes 5-foot jumper	49	40
3:42	Marcus Smart bad pass turnover (Alperen Sengun steals)	49	40
3:32	Amen Thompson misses driving layup	49	40
3:30	Luke Kennard defensive rebound	49	40
3:27	Luke Kennard lost ball turnover (Reed Sheppard steals)	49	40
3:13	Kevin Durant makes 9-foot driving floating jump shot (Reed Sheppard assists)	49	42
3:13	Jake LaRavia shooting foul	49	42
3:13	Jaxson Hayes enters the game for Deandre Ayton	49	42
3:13	LeBron James enters the game for Jake LaRavia	49	42
3:13	Tari Eason enters the game for Jabari Smith Jr.	49	42
3:13	Josh Okogie enters the game for Reed Sheppard	49	42
3:13	Kevin Durant makes free throw 1 of 1	49	43
3:02	Marcus Smart misses 27-foot three point jumper	49	43
3:00	Amen Thompson defensive rebound	49	43
2:51	Tari Eason makes 23-foot three point jumper (Amen Thompson assists)	49	46
2:50	Lakers Full timeout	49	46
2:50	Jarred Vanderbilt enters the game for Marcus Smart	49	46
2:26	LeBron James misses 21-foot jumper	49	46
2:22	Josh Okogie defensive rebound	49	46
2:19	Rui Hachimura shooting foul	49	46
2:19	Kevin Durant makes free throw 1 of 2	49	47
2:19	Kevin Durant makes free throw 2 of 2	49	48
2:01	Luke Kennard misses 28-foot three point jumper	49	48
1:55	Jarred Vanderbilt offensive rebound	49	48
1:53	Rui Hachimura makes 22-foot three point jumper (Jaxson Hayes assists)	52	48
1:36	Jaxson Hayes blocks Alperen Sengun 's 7-foot two point shot	52	48
1:35	Alperen Sengun offensive rebound	52	48
1:32	Josh Okogie misses 25-foot three point jumper	52	48
1:29	Rui Hachimura defensive rebound	52	48
1:15	Kevin Durant shooting foul	52	48
1:15	LeBron James makes free throw 1 of 2	53	48
1:15	LeBron James makes free throw 2 of 2	54	48
1:06	Jarred Vanderbilt personal foul	54	48
1:06	Kevin Durant makes free throw 1 of 2	54	49
1:06	Jabari Smith Jr. enters the game for Alperen Sengun	54	49
1:06	Kevin Durant makes free throw 2 of 2	54	50
53.1	LeBron James misses 14-foot turnaround jump shot	54	50
51.9	Rockets defensive team rebound	54	50
51.9	Jaxson Hayes loose ball foul	54	50
51.9	Jabari Smith Jr. misses free throw 1 of 2	54	50
51.9	Rockets offensive team rebound	54	50
51.9	Marcus Smart enters the game for Jarred Vanderbilt	54	50
51.9	Jabari Smith Jr. makes free throw 2 of 2	54	51
31.6	LeBron James misses 15-foot two point shot	54	51
28.3	Rui Hachimura offensive rebound	54	51
26.4	Josh Okogie vs. Rui Hachimura (LeBron James gains possession)	54	51
10.6	LeBron James misses 9-foot two point shot	54	51
8.3	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	54	51
2.7	Kevin Durant out of bounds bad pass turnover	54	51
2.7	Jae'Sean Tate enters the game for Kevin Durant	54	51
0.3	Jaxson Hayes misses 27-foot three point jumper	54	51
0.1	Lakers offensive team rebound	54	51
0.0	End of the 2nd Quarter	54	51

3rd Quarter

TIME	PLAY	LAL	HOU
12:00	Deandre Ayton enters the game for Jaxson Hayes	54	51
12:00	Alperen Sengun enters the game for Tari Eason	54	51
12:00	Kevin Durant enters the game for Jae'Sean Tate	54	51
11:45	Deandre Ayton blocks Alperen Sengun 's 7-foot two point shot	54	51
11:44	Rockets offensive team rebound	54	51
11:41	Jabari Smith Jr. misses dunk	54	51
11:36	Amen Thompson offensive rebound	54	51
11:35	Jabari Smith Jr. makes dunk (Amen Thompson assists)	54	53
11:05	Deandre Ayton misses 9-foot floating jump shot	54	53
10:59	Alperen Sengun defensive rebound	54	53
10:54	Rui Hachimura personal foul	54	53
10:39	Jabari Smith Jr. misses 23-foot three point jumper	54	53
10:39	LeBron James defensive rebound	54	53
10:26	Marcus Smart lost ball turnover (Alperen Sengun steals)	54	53
10:20	Jabari Smith Jr. makes two point shot (Amen Thompson assists)	54	55
10:02	Alperen Sengun blocks Deandre Ayton 's 9-foot turnaround jump shot	54	55
10:00	Amen Thompson defensive rebound	54	55
9:55	Marcus Smart blocks Amen Thompson 's 6-foot running layup	54	55
9:53	Luke Kennard defensive rebound	54	55
9:50	Luke Kennard makes 26-foot running jump shot (LeBron James assists)	57	55
9:22	Alperen Sengun misses 30-foot three point jumper	57	55
9:17	Luke Kennard defensive rebound	57	55
9:05	Deandre Ayton makes driving dunk (LeBron James assists)	59	55
8:42	Alperen Sengun misses 7-foot two point shot	59	55
8:40	Deandre Ayton defensive rebound	59	55
8:27	Jabari Smith Jr. shooting foul	59	55
8:27	LeBron James misses free throw 1 of 2	59	55
8:27	Lakers offensive team rebound	59	55
8:27	LeBron James makes free throw 2 of 2	60	55
8:17	Amen Thompson makes driving dunk (Alperen Sengun assists)	60	57
7:57	LeBron James makes dunk (Marcus Smart assists)	62	57
7:47	Amen Thompson makes 10-foot pullup jump shot	62	59
7:26	Deandre Ayton makes 1-foot alley oop dunk (LeBron James assists)	64	59
7:05	Kevin Durant misses 26-foot three point pullup jump shot	64	59
7:03	Lakers defensive team rebound	64	59
6:47	Rui Hachimura makes 25-foot three point jumper (LeBron James assists)	67	59
6:32	Deandre Ayton shooting foul	67	59
6:32	Lakers Full timeout	67	59
6:32	Jake LaRavia enters the game for Marcus Smart	67	59
6:32	Tari Eason enters the game for Josh Okogie	67	59
6:32	Jae'Sean Tate enters the game for Alperen Sengun	67	59
6:32	Kevin Durant makes free throw 1 of 2	67	60
6:32	Kevin Durant misses free throw 2 of 2	67	60
6:30	Rui Hachimura defensive rebound	67	60
6:24	8 second turnover	67	60
6:09	Tari Eason offensive foul	67	60
6:09	Tari Eason offensive foul turnover	67	60
5:51	LeBron James misses driving floating jump shot	67	60
5:48	Jake LaRavia offensive rebound	67	60
5:43	Jae'Sean Tate personal foul	67	60
5:28	Luke Kennard misses 10-foot pullup jump shot	67	60
5:27	Deandre Ayton offensive rebound	67	60
5:23	Deandre Ayton lost ball turnover (Amen Thompson steals)	67	60
5:18	Jabari Smith Jr. makes running layup	67	62
4:56	Jake LaRavia misses driving floating jump shot	67	62
4:54	Kevin Durant defensive rebound	67	62
4:51	Jabari Smith Jr. misses running pullup jump shot	67	62
4:46	Luke Kennard defensive rebound	67	62
4:42	Jae'Sean Tate personal foul	67	62
4:42	Marcus Smart enters the game for Deandre Ayton	67	62
4:42	Jaxson Hayes enters the game for LeBron James	67	62
4:24	Marcus Smart makes 9-foot two point shot	69	62
4:03	Reed Sheppard enters the game for Amen Thompson	69	62
4:03	Alperen Sengun enters the game for Jabari Smith Jr.	69	62
3:57	Kevin Durant bad pass turnover (Jaxson Hayes steals)	69	62
3:53	Rui Hachimura makes dunk (Luke Kennard assists)	71	62
3:45	Jake LaRavia personal foul	71	62
3:39	Jake LaRavia personal foul	71	62
3:32	Alperen Sengun makes driving layup (Kevin Durant assists)	71	64
3:17	Jake LaRavia offensive foul	71	64
3:17	Jake LaRavia offensive foul turnover	71	64
3:17	Jarred Vanderbilt enters the game for Rui Hachimura	71	64
3:03	Tari Eason misses 23-foot three point jumper	71	64
2:58	Jake LaRavia defensive rebound	71	64
2:47	Marcus Smart misses driving floating jump shot	71	64
2:45	Tari Eason defensive rebound	71	64
2:40	Alperen Sengun offensive goaltending turnover	71	64
2:40	Rockets Full timeout	71	64
2:40	Rui Hachimura enters the game for Jake LaRavia	71	64
2:40	Amen Thompson enters the game for Jae'Sean Tate	71	64
2:34	Marcus Smart bad pass turnover (Alperen Sengun steals)	71	64
2:31	Alperen Sengun makes 1-foot running dunk	71	66
2:10	Kevin Durant shooting foul	71	66
2:10	Luke Kennard makes free throw 1 of 2	72	66
2:10	LeBron James enters the game for Marcus Smart	72	66
2:10	Luke Kennard makes free throw 2 of 2	73	66
1:57	Reed Sheppard misses 27-foot three point jumper	73	66
1:56	Rockets offensive team rebound	73	66
1:56	LeBron James loose ball foul	73	66
1:56	Amen Thompson makes free throw 1 of 2	73	67
1:56	Marcus Smart enters the game for Luke Kennard	73	67
1:56	Jabari Smith Jr. enters the game for Kevin Durant	73	67
1:56	Amen Thompson misses free throw 2 of 2	73	67
1:55	Rockets offensive team rebound	73	67
1:55	Jaxson Hayes loose ball foul	73	67
1:55	Alperen Sengun misses free throw 1 of 2	73	67
1:55	Rockets offensive team rebound	73	67
1:55	Alperen Sengun makes free throw 2 of 2	73	68
1:37	Alperen Sengun blocks Marcus Smart 's 5-foot two point shot	73	68
1:37	Lakers offensive team rebound	73	68
1:36	Tari Eason personal foul	73	68
1:36	LeBron James makes free throw 1 of 2	74	68
1:36	LeBron James makes free throw 2 of 2	75	68
1:16	Tari Eason misses 23-foot three point jumper	75	68
1:12	Tari Eason offensive rebound	75	68
1:11	Tari Eason misses driving layup	75	68
1:08	Jaxson Hayes defensive rebound	75	68
50.2	LeBron James misses 27-foot three point jumper	75	68
47.8	Amen Thompson defensive rebound	75	68
43.1	Tari Eason misses 27-foot running jump shot	75	68
39.4	Jarred Vanderbilt defensive rebound	75	68
33.7	LeBron James misses two point shot	75	68
31.8	Tari Eason defensive rebound	75	68
21.5	Alperen Sengun misses 5-foot two point shot	75	68
19.5	Jarred Vanderbilt defensive rebound	75	68
0.0	End of the 3rd Quarter	75	68

4th Quarter

TIME	PLAY	LAL	HOU
12:00	Luke Kennard enters the game for Marcus Smart	75	68
12:00	Aaron Holiday enters the game for Reed Sheppard	75	68
12:00	Kevin Durant enters the game for Jabari Smith Jr.	75	68
11:44	Jaxson Hayes makes layup (LeBron James assists)	77	68
11:44	Alperen Sengun shooting foul	77	68
11:44	Jaxson Hayes makes free throw 1 of 1	78	68
11:34	Amen Thompson makes 4-foot layup (Alperen Sengun assists)	78	70
11:34	LeBron James shooting foul	78	70
11:34	Lakers Full timeout	78	70
11:34	(11:34) [Lakers] COACH'S CHALLENGE (CALL STANDS) [Lakers] charged with a timeout	78	70
11:34	Amen Thompson makes free throw 1 of 1	78	71
11:23	Amen Thompson personal foul	78	71
11:09	shot clock turnover	78	71
10:53	Kevin Durant misses 17-foot pullup jump shot	78	71
10:50	Jaxson Hayes defensive rebound	78	71
10:38	Jarred Vanderbilt misses 23-foot three point jumper	78	71
10:34	Amen Thompson defensive rebound	78	71
10:18	Alperen Sengun misses driving layup	78	71
10:17	Alperen Sengun offensive rebound	78	71
10:16	Alperen Sengun makes two point shot	78	73
10:02	Luke Kennard makes driving layup	80	73
9:45	Luke Kennard kicked ball violation	80	73
9:45	Marcus Smart enters the game for Jarred Vanderbilt	80	73
9:45	Deandre Ayton enters the game for Jaxson Hayes	80	73
9:45	Jabari Smith Jr. enters the game for Alperen Sengun	80	73
9:45	Josh Okogie enters the game for Aaron Holiday	80	73
9:35	Josh Okogie makes driving layup (Kevin Durant assists)	80	75
9:18	Josh Okogie personal foul	80	75
9:07	Tari Eason blocks LeBron James 's 5-foot driving layup	80	75
9:06	LeBron James offensive rebound	80	75
9:05	LeBron James makes two point shot	82	75
8:46	Kevin Durant lost ball turnover (Luke Kennard steals)	82	75
8:43	Josh Okogie shooting foul	82	75
8:43	LeBron James misses free throw 1 of 2	82	75
8:43	Lakers offensive team rebound	82	75
8:43	LeBron James makes free throw 2 of 2	83	75
8:26	Amen Thompson lost ball turnover (Marcus Smart steals)	83	75
8:20	Rui Hachimura misses 25-foot running jump shot	83	75
8:18	Rockets defensive team rebound	83	75
7:53	Tari Eason makes driving layup (Amen Thompson assists)	83	77
7:28	LeBron James misses 9-foot two point shot	83	77
7:26	Kevin Durant defensive rebound	83	77
7:19	Jabari Smith Jr. makes running layup (Amen Thompson assists)	83	79
7:09	Luke Kennard makes 11-foot pullup jump shot (Marcus Smart assists)	85	79
6:48	Kevin Durant lost ball turnover (Marcus Smart steals)	85	79
6:44	Rui Hachimura misses two point shot	85	79
6:41	Kevin Durant defensive rebound	85	79
6:38	Josh Okogie makes 23-foot running jump shot (Kevin Durant assists)	85	82
6:09	LeBron James makes driving layup	87	82
5:58	Rockets Full timeout	87	82
5:58	Jake LaRavia enters the game for Marcus Smart	87	82
5:58	Alperen Sengun enters the game for Tari Eason	87	82
5:48	Kevin Durant misses 23-foot three point jumper	87	82
5:45	Deandre Ayton defensive rebound	87	82
5:25	Jake LaRavia misses 24-foot three point jumper	87	82
5:22	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	87	82
5:16	Amen Thompson lost ball turnover (Luke Kennard steals)	87	82
5:05	Josh Okogie personal foul	87	82
5:05	LeBron James makes free throw 1 of 2	88	82
5:05	Marcus Smart enters the game for Deandre Ayton	88	82
5:05	Jaxson Hayes enters the game for Jake LaRavia	88	82
5:05	Tari Eason enters the game for Josh Okogie	88	82
5:05	LeBron James makes free throw 2 of 2	89	82
4:45	Tari Eason misses driving layup	89	82
4:43	Tari Eason offensive rebound	89	82
4:43	Tari Eason misses tip shot	89	82
4:42	Alperen Sengun offensive rebound	89	82
4:37	Alperen Sengun makes 6-foot two point shot (Kevin Durant assists)	89	84
4:37	Rui Hachimura shooting foul	89	84
4:37	Alperen Sengun makes free throw 1 of 1	89	85
4:29	Luke Kennard back court turnover	89	85
4:15	Luke Kennard kicked ball violation	89	85
4:13	Marcus Smart personal foul	89	85
3:58	Kevin Durant bad pass turnover (Luke Kennard steals)	89	85
3:41	Rui Hachimura makes 17-foot step back jumpshot (Marcus Smart assists)	91	85
3:23	Kevin Durant misses 26-foot three point pullup jump shot	91	85
3:19	Jabari Smith Jr. offensive rebound	91	85
3:15	Tari Eason misses driving layup	91	85
3:11	Alperen Sengun offensive rebound	91	85
3:10	Rockets Full timeout	91	85
3:06	Alperen Sengun misses 6-foot two point shot	91	85
3:03	Luke Kennard defensive rebound	91	85
3:00	Amen Thompson personal foul	91	85
3:00	Rockets Full timeout	91	85
3:00	(03:00) [Rockets] COACH'S CHALLENGE (CALL STANDS) [Rockets] charged with a timeout	91	85
3:00	Marcus Smart misses free throw 1 of 2	91	85
3:00	Lakers offensive team rebound	91	85
3:00	Marcus Smart makes free throw 2 of 2	92	85
2:51	Kevin Durant makes 5-foot two point shot (Amen Thompson assists)	92	87
2:23	Marcus Smart makes 23-foot three point jumper (Rui Hachimura assists)	95	87
2:01	Tari Eason makes 23-foot three point jumper (Alperen Sengun assists)	95	90
1:56	Alperen Sengun personal foul	95	90
1:56	Marcus Smart makes free throw 1 of 2	96	90
1:56	Marcus Smart makes free throw 2 of 2	97	90
1:41	Alperen Sengun makes dunk	97	92
1:19	LeBron James misses two point shot	97	92
1:17	Alperen Sengun defensive rebound	97	92
1:08	Kevin Durant bad pass turnover (Marcus Smart steals)	97	92
55.3	LeBron James makes dunk (Marcus Smart assists)	99	92
46.3	Alperen Sengun makes 3-foot reverse layup (Amen Thompson assists)	99	94
46.3	Lakers Full timeout	99	94
46.3	Josh Okogie enters the game for Alperen Sengun	99	94
22.0	Rui Hachimura misses 24-foot three point jumper	99	94
21.6	Lakers offensive team rebound	99	94
14.3	Amen Thompson personal take foul	99	94
14.3	Luke Kennard makes free throw 1 of 2	100	94
14.3	Alperen Sengun enters the game for Josh Okogie	100	94
14.3	Luke Kennard makes free throw 2 of 2	101	94
14.3	Rockets Full timeout	101	94
14.3	Reed Sheppard enters the game for Alperen Sengun	101	94
12.3	Jabari Smith Jr. misses 33-foot three point pullup jump shot	101	94
8.5	Rui Hachimura defensive rebound	101	94
0.0	End of the 4th Quarter	101	94
0.0	End of Game	101	94

Time, Location & Referees

Game Information

Venue

crypto.com Arena

Los Angeles, CA

Date & Time

2:30 AM, April 22, 2026

Coverage

NBC, Peacock

Attendance

19,057

Referees

Courtney Kirkland, Josh Tiven, Justin Van Duyne

2025-26 Southwest Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
San Antonio	62	20	.756	L1
Houston	52	30	.634	W1
New Orleans	26	56	.317	L2
Dallas	26	56	.317	W1
Memphis	25	57	.305	L8

2025-26 Pacific Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
LA Lakers	53	29	.646	W3
Phoenix	45	37	.549	W1
LA Clippers	42	40	.512	W1
Golden State	37	45	.451	L3
Sacramento	22	60	.268	L1

Related Tags

Quick keywords and lookup terms for this matchup.

Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers Live StreamWatch Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers FreeRockets vs Lakers Live ScoreHOU vs LAL GameNBA Stream Houston RocketsNBA Stream Los Angeles Lakerscrypto.com ArenaNBA Live StreamBasketball Streams

Explore More

Jump to related standings, stats, and league resources.

Houston Rockets Standings Los Angeles Lakers Standings Houston Rockets Stats Los Angeles Lakers Stats NBA Standings NBA Schedule

Need Help?

Explore our comprehensive NBA streams guide for all available options and platform comparisons.

View Guide

LeBron scores 28, leads short-handed Lakers past Durant's Rockets again 101-94 for 2-0 series lead

Game Article

Game Recap

Playoff Series and Prior Meetings

Playoff Series

Regular Season Series

Game Analysis

Game Analysis

Game Stats

Match Leaders

Points

Assists

Rebounds

Play by Play

Play By Play

1st Quarter

2nd Quarter

3rd Quarter

4th Quarter

Game Information

Game Information

Current Standings

2025-26 Southwest Standings

2025-26 Pacific Standings

Need Help?