Game Center

HOU

Rockets

98-107

Final

LAL

Lakers

Kennard scores 27, LeBron leads Lakers to surprising 107-98 win over Rockets in playoff opener

By AP•Apr 19, 2026

Game Recap

Iman Shumpert and Vince Goodwill discuss what LeBron James and the Lakers will need to do to stand a chance at beating the Rockets in the playoffs.

LOS ANGELES -- — Luke Kennard scored a career playoff-high 27 points, LeBron James had 19 points and 13 assists, and the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers capitalized on Kevin Durant's injury absence for a 107-98 victory over the Houston Rockets in the opener of their first-round playoff series on Saturday night.

Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the fourth-seeded Lakers, who pulled off an impressive win without their top two scorers.

Both teams played the opener without their most important player. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have been out indefinitely with injuries since April 2, while Durant was a late scratch with a bruised right knee.

Los Angeles thrived by hitting 60.6% of its shots while holding the Rockets to 37.6% shooting with pesky defense. That disparity allowed the Lakers to win despite attempting just 66 shots — the fewest in an NBA game in the past three seasons — and giving up 21 offensive rebounds.

“That’s what it has to be — a collective group,” the 41-year-old James said after beginning his 19th NBA postseason. “When you’re missing so much firepower like we are right now with AR and Luka being out, we all have to do our job and maybe have to do a little bit more, protect one another offensively and defensively, and I think we did that tonight.”

Alperen Sengun scored 19 points and Jabari Smith Jr. had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the fifth-seeded Rockets. Amen Thompson added 17 points.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

The Lakers acquired Kennard from Atlanta in early February, and the NBA’s most accurate 3-point shooter became a key reserve before he seized a major role over the past two weeks. He hit four 3-pointers in Game 1 while making nine of his first 12 shots.

Durant banged knees with a teammate in practice Wednesday. Reed Sheppard five 3-pointers while scoring 17 points, but the Rockets struggled to score consistently.

“We won a lot of areas, but just shot poorly,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said. “That’s going to be tough to beat, but there are some things we left on the table, opportunities missed."

Los Angeles also got a boost from Marcus Smart, who had 15 points and eight assists with four 3-pointers. Smart said before the series that success would come down to “willpower” — and the Lakers clearly had more for starters.

Bronny James began the second quarter playing alongside his famous father in the first significant playoff minutes of the 21-year-old's career.

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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 1-0

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

35-93FG40-66

38Field Goal %61

11-333PT10-19

33Three Point %53

17-25FT17-26

21Offensive Rebounds3

23Defensive Rebounds32

24Assists29

13Steals7

3Blocks8

13Turnovers18

2Technical Fouls0

7Points Conceded Off Turnovers24

11Fast Break Points4

22Fouls25

2Largest Lead16

Match Leaders

Recent plays and game events

Play By Play

1st Quarter

TIME	PLAY	LAL	HOU
12:00	Alperen Sengun vs. Deandre Ayton (LeBron James gains possession)	0	0
11:44	Marcus Smart bad pass turnover (Josh Okogie steals)	0	0
11:42	Marcus Smart shooting foul	0	0
11:42	Josh Okogie makes free throw 1 of 2	0	1
11:42	Josh Okogie makes free throw 2 of 2	0	2
11:20	Deandre Ayton makes 4-foot two point shot (Marcus Smart assists)	2	2
10:59	Amen Thompson makes driving layup	2	4
10:39	Luke Kennard makes 21-foot jumper (LeBron James assists)	4	4
10:27	Amen Thompson misses driving floating jump shot	4	4
10:25	Deandre Ayton defensive rebound	4	4
10:06	Rui Hachimura makes 18-foot pullup jump shot (Marcus Smart assists)	6	4
9:53	Reed Sheppard misses 26-foot three point step back jumpshot	6	4
9:51	Jabari Smith Jr. offensive rebound	6	4
9:50	LeBron James personal foul	6	4
9:38	Jabari Smith Jr. misses 28-foot three point step back jumpshot	6	4
9:38	Lakers defensive team rebound	6	4
9:24	LeBron James makes 21-foot step back jumpshot	8	4
9:05	Alperen Sengun 3 second turnover	8	4
8:55	Marcus Smart misses 27-foot three point jumper	8	4
8:52	Rockets defensive team rebound	8	4
8:37	Alperen Sengun misses 9-foot two point shot	8	4
8:34	LeBron James defensive rebound	8	4
8:31	Marcus Smart makes running layup (LeBron James assists)	10	4
8:19	Jabari Smith Jr. makes 24-foot three point jumper (Amen Thompson assists)	10	7
8:04	LeBron James makes 13-foot fade away jump shot (Marcus Smart assists)	12	7
7:57	Marcus Smart blocks Amen Thompson 's 2-foot driving layup	12	7
7:57	Deandre Ayton defensive rebound	12	7
7:57	Alperen Sengun personal foul	12	7
7:45	Deandre Ayton makes 13-foot jumper (LeBron James assists)	14	7
7:24	Alperen Sengun makes 13-foot two point shot	14	9
7:09	Rui Hachimura makes 25-foot three point jumper (LeBron James assists)	17	9
6:50	Josh Okogie makes 27-foot three point jumper (Alperen Sengun assists)	17	12
6:29	Marcus Smart misses 25-foot three point pullup jump shot	17	12
6:26	Amen Thompson defensive rebound	17	12
6:18	Alperen Sengun makes driving layup (Amen Thompson assists)	17	14
6:11	Lakers Full timeout	17	14
6:11	Jake LaRavia enters the game for Marcus Smart	17	14
6:11	Clint Capela enters the game for Alperen Sengun	17	14
5:58	Luke Kennard makes 4-foot two point shot (LeBron James assists)	19	14
5:42	Reed Sheppard makes 11-foot pullup jump shot	19	16
5:25	Jake LaRavia makes driving layup (LeBron James assists)	21	16
5:15	Reed Sheppard makes 26-foot three point jumper (Amen Thompson assists)	21	19
4:57	Deandre Ayton makes 7-foot alley oop dunk (LeBron James assists)	23	19
4:33	Clint Capela makes 4-foot two point shot (Reed Sheppard assists)	23	21
4:14	Luke Kennard makes 28-foot three point jumper (Jake LaRavia assists)	26	21
3:58	Jabari Smith Jr. makes 24-foot three point jumper (Reed Sheppard assists)	26	24
3:38	Amen Thompson blocks Luke Kennard 's 2-foot layup	26	24
3:36	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	26	24
3:19	Amen Thompson misses 16-foot step back jumpshot	26	24
3:15	LeBron James defensive rebound	26	24
3:11	Luke Kennard makes 10-foot running pullup jump shot (LeBron James assists)	28	24
2:52	Clint Capela bad pass turnover (LeBron James steals)	28	24
2:52	Rockets Full timeout	28	24
2:52	Jarred Vanderbilt enters the game for Deandre Ayton	28	24
2:52	Jaxson Hayes enters the game for LeBron James	28	24
2:52	Marcus Smart enters the game for Rui Hachimura	28	24
2:52	Aaron Holiday enters the game for Amen Thompson	28	24
2:52	Jae'Sean Tate enters the game for Reed Sheppard	28	24
2:52	Tari Eason enters the game for Josh Okogie	28	24
2:52	Alperen Sengun enters the game for Clint Capela	28	24
2:31	Jaxson Hayes makes layup (Marcus Smart assists)	30	24
2:31	Aaron Holiday shooting foul	30	24
2:31	Jaxson Hayes misses free throw 1 of 1	30	24
2:28	Tari Eason defensive rebound	30	24
2:14	Jabari Smith Jr. misses layup	30	24
2:12	Tari Eason offensive rebound	30	24
2:10	Aaron Holiday lost ball turnover (Jake LaRavia steals)	30	24
2:06	Luke Kennard lost ball turnover (Tari Eason steals)	30	24
2:00	Jabari Smith Jr. makes 14-foot pullup jump shot	30	26
1:43	Luke Kennard makes 14-foot fade away jump shot (Jake LaRavia assists)	32	26
1:24	Alperen Sengun misses 3-foot two point shot	32	26
1:22	Alperen Sengun offensive rebound	32	26
1:22	Aaron Holiday misses 25-foot three point jumper	32	26
1:22	Rockets offensive team rebound	32	26
1:22	Jake LaRavia loose ball foul	32	26
1:22	Amen Thompson enters the game for Jabari Smith Jr.	32	26
1:08	Tari Eason lost ball turnover (Marcus Smart steals)	32	26
1:08	Tari Eason vs. Jaxson Hayes (Alperen Sengun gains possession)	32	26
1:08	Jaxson Hayes lost ball turnover (Tari Eason steals)	32	26
58.3	Aaron Holiday misses 24-foot three point jumper	32	26
56.4	Alperen Sengun vs. Jake LaRavia (Tari Eason gains possession)	32	26
56.4	Rockets offensive team rebound	32	26
48.8	Alperen Sengun makes 1-foot layup (Amen Thompson assists)	32	28
48.8	Jaxson Hayes shooting foul	32	28
48.8	Alperen Sengun makes free throw 1 of 1	32	29
34.8	Aaron Holiday shooting foul	32	29
34.8	Marcus Smart makes free throw 1 of 2	33	29
34.8	Jabari Smith Jr. enters the game for Jae'Sean Tate	33	29
34.8	Marcus Smart misses free throw 2 of 2	33	29
32.5	Tari Eason defensive rebound	33	29
21.9	Alperen Sengun traveling turnover	33	29
21.9	LeBron James enters the game for Jarred Vanderbilt	33	29
21.9	Jae'Sean Tate enters the game for Aaron Holiday	33	29
21.9	Josh Okogie enters the game for Alperen Sengun	33	29
1.9	LeBron James misses 10-foot two point shot	33	29
0.1	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	33	29
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	33	29

2nd Quarter

TIME	PLAY	LAL	HOU
12:00	Jarred Vanderbilt enters the game for Luke Kennard	33	29
12:00	Bronny James enters the game for Marcus Smart	33	29
12:00	Aaron Holiday enters the game for Jabari Smith Jr.	33	29
12:00	Alperen Sengun enters the game for Josh Okogie	33	29
11:34	Jae'Sean Tate misses 23-foot three point jumper	33	29
11:29	Jarred Vanderbilt defensive rebound	33	29
11:11	LeBron James makes 21-foot jumper	35	29
10:53	Alperen Sengun misses 2-foot two point shot	35	29
10:53	Jae'Sean Tate offensive rebound	35	29
10:53	Bronny James shooting foul	35	29
10:53	Jae'Sean Tate makes free throw 1 of 2	35	30
10:53	Jae'Sean Tate makes free throw 2 of 2	35	31
10:38	Jarred Vanderbilt makes 23-foot three point jumper (LeBron James assists)	38	31
10:26	Jarred Vanderbilt personal foul	38	31
10:23	Alperen Sengun out of bounds bad pass turnover	38	31
10:10	Bronny James out of bounds bad pass turnover	38	31
10:10	Jabari Smith Jr. enters the game for Jae'Sean Tate	38	31
10:03	Bronny James personal foul	38	31
10:03	Rui Hachimura enters the game for Jake LaRavia	38	31
9:56	Jabari Smith Jr. out of bounds bad pass turnover	38	31
9:38	LeBron James misses driving floating jump shot	38	31
9:36	Tari Eason defensive rebound	38	31
9:30	Jaxson Hayes personal foul	38	31
9:30	Deandre Ayton enters the game for Jaxson Hayes	38	31
9:14	Aaron Holiday misses driving floating jump shot	38	31
9:12	Rui Hachimura defensive rebound	38	31
9:00	LeBron James misses driving floating jump shot	38	31
8:59	Deandre Ayton offensive rebound	38	31
8:50	Tari Eason shooting foul	38	31
8:50	Deandre Ayton makes free throw 1 of 2	39	31
8:50	Clint Capela enters the game for Aaron Holiday	39	31
8:50	Reed Sheppard enters the game for Alperen Sengun	39	31
8:50	Deandre Ayton makes free throw 2 of 2	40	31
8:36	Amen Thompson makes 4-foot driving floating jump shot (Reed Sheppard assists)	40	33
8:10	shot clock turnover	40	33
8:10	Marcus Smart enters the game for Bronny James	40	33
8:01	Reed Sheppard misses 25-foot three point jumper	40	33
7:57	Deandre Ayton defensive rebound	40	33
7:44	Jarred Vanderbilt misses 25-foot three point jumper	40	33
7:42	Reed Sheppard defensive rebound	40	33
7:34	Reed Sheppard makes 26-foot three point jumper (Amen Thompson assists)	40	36
7:14	Deandre Ayton makes 5-foot floating jump shot (Marcus Smart assists)	42	36
6:58	Reed Sheppard misses 25-foot three point pullup jump shot	42	36
6:56	Jarred Vanderbilt defensive rebound	42	36
6:41	Rui Hachimura makes 14-foot turnaround jump shot (LeBron James assists)	44	36
6:22	Jarred Vanderbilt shooting foul	44	36
6:22	Lakers Full timeout	44	36
6:22	Luke Kennard enters the game for Jarred Vanderbilt	44	36
6:22	Amen Thompson makes free throw 1 of 2	44	37
6:22	Amen Thompson makes free throw 2 of 2	44	38
6:03	Luke Kennard misses 20-foot fade away jump shot	44	38
5:59	Clint Capela defensive rebound	44	38
5:51	LeBron James blocks Amen Thompson 's 1-foot driving layup	44	38
5:50	Clint Capela offensive rebound	44	38
5:49	Clint Capela misses two point shot	44	38
5:48	Rui Hachimura defensive rebound	44	38
5:46	Tari Eason transition take foul	44	38
5:46	Luke Kennard misses free throw 1 of 1	44	38
5:46	Lakers offensive team rebound	44	38
5:46	Jake LaRavia enters the game for LeBron James	44	38
5:46	Alperen Sengun enters the game for Amen Thompson	44	38
5:46	Josh Okogie enters the game for Clint Capela	44	38
5:31	Marcus Smart makes 13-foot fade away jump shot	46	38
5:19	Reed Sheppard misses 17-foot pullup jump shot	46	38
5:17	Luke Kennard defensive rebound	46	38
5:03	Deandre Ayton 3 second turnover	46	38
4:48	Rui Hachimura blocks Jabari Smith Jr. 's 2-foot driving layup	46	38
4:48	Rockets offensive team rebound	46	38
4:41	Alperen Sengun misses 16-foot two point shot	46	38
4:38	Luke Kennard defensive rebound	46	38
4:35	Alperen Sengun personal foul	46	38
4:35	Lakers Full timeout	46	38
4:35	(04:35) [Lakers] COACH'S CHALLENGE (CALL OVERTURNED) [Lakers] retain their timeout	46	38
4:35	Amen Thompson enters the game for Tari Eason	46	38
4:24	Deandre Ayton makes 5-foot alley oop dunk (Marcus Smart assists)	48	38
4:05	Rui Hachimura shooting foul	48	38
4:05	Jabari Smith Jr. makes free throw 1 of 3	48	39
4:05	Jabari Smith Jr. misses free throw 2 of 3	48	39
4:05	Rockets offensive team rebound	48	39
4:05	Jabari Smith Jr. makes free throw 3 of 3	48	40
3:39	Rui Hachimura misses 20-foot step back jumpshot	48	40
3:39	Lakers offensive team rebound	48	40
3:39	shot clock turnover	48	40
3:29	Reed Sheppard bad pass turnover (Rui Hachimura steals)	48	40
3:25	Rui Hachimura lost ball turnover (Jabari Smith Jr. steals)	48	40
3:13	Alperen Sengun misses 9-foot two point shot	48	40
3:10	Jake LaRavia defensive rebound	48	40
2:52	Marcus Smart misses driving layup	48	40
2:50	Alperen Sengun defensive rebound	48	40
2:46	Jabari Smith Jr. misses running pullup jump shot	48	40
2:43	Amen Thompson offensive rebound	48	40
2:31	Josh Okogie makes 2-foot dunk (Alperen Sengun assists)	48	42
2:07	Reed Sheppard personal foul	48	42
2:07	LeBron James enters the game for Deandre Ayton	48	42
2:07	Jaxson Hayes enters the game for Jake LaRavia	48	42
1:52	Marcus Smart makes driving layup	50	42
1:39	Alperen Sengun misses driving layup	50	42
1:38	Alperen Sengun offensive rebound	50	42
1:36	Alperen Sengun misses two point shot	50	42
1:35	Jaxson Hayes defensive rebound	50	42
1:27	Marcus Smart bad pass turnover (Alperen Sengun steals)	50	42
1:22	Reed Sheppard misses 25-foot running jump shot	50	42
1:19	LeBron James defensive rebound	50	42
1:13	Luke Kennard lost ball turnover (Reed Sheppard steals)	50	42
1:05	Jaxson Hayes shooting foul	50	42
1:05	Alperen Sengun makes free throw 1 of 2	50	43
1:05	Aaron Holiday enters the game for Reed Sheppard	50	43
1:05	Alperen Sengun makes free throw 2 of 2	50	44
54.1	Marcus Smart bad pass turnover (Josh Okogie steals)	50	44
51.2	Marcus Smart blocks Amen Thompson 's 7-foot running layup	50	44
51.2	Rockets offensive team rebound	50	44
48.2	Marcus Smart personal foul	50	44
48.2	Alperen Sengun makes free throw 1 of 2	50	45
48.2	Alperen Sengun makes free throw 2 of 2	50	46
31.4	LeBron James misses 28-foot three point jumper	50	46
29.3	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	50	46
8.7	Amen Thompson makes 8-foot driving floating jump shot	50	48
2.5	Luke Kennard misses driving floating jump shot	50	48
2.5	Alperen Sengun defensive rebound	50	48
0.0	End of the 2nd Quarter	50	48

3rd Quarter

TIME	PLAY	LAL	HOU
12:00	Deandre Ayton enters the game for Jaxson Hayes	50	48
12:00	Reed Sheppard enters the game for Aaron Holiday	50	48
11:41	Reed Sheppard makes 27-foot three point jumper (Amen Thompson assists)	50	51
11:18	Josh Okogie personal foul	50	51
11:10	Marcus Smart misses 28-foot three point jumper	50	51
11:06	Alperen Sengun defensive rebound	50	51
11:01	Reed Sheppard misses 31-foot three point jumper	50	51
10:57	Amen Thompson offensive rebound	50	51
10:53	Jabari Smith Jr. misses 26-foot three point jumper	50	51
10:49	Marcus Smart defensive rebound	50	51
10:39	Marcus Smart misses 4-foot two point shot	50	51
10:38	Deandre Ayton offensive rebound	50	51
10:37	Deandre Ayton misses two point shot	50	51
10:36	Deandre Ayton offensive rebound	50	51
10:35	Deandre Ayton makes tip shot	52	51
10:15	Jabari Smith Jr. misses 11-foot two point shot	52	51
10:12	Deandre Ayton defensive rebound	52	51
9:55	LeBron James makes 1-foot two point shot	54	51
9:37	Marcus Smart personal foul	54	51
9:31	Alperen Sengun misses 3-foot two point shot	54	51
9:30	Deandre Ayton defensive rebound	54	51
9:30	Alperen Sengun personal foul	54	51
9:19	Amen Thompson shooting foul	54	51
9:19	Marcus Smart misses free throw 1 of 2	54	51
9:19	Lakers offensive team rebound	54	51
9:19	Marcus Smart misses free throw 2 of 2	54	51
9:16	Alperen Sengun defensive rebound	54	51
8:59	Jabari Smith Jr. makes 23-foot three point jumper (Josh Okogie assists)	54	54
8:36	LeBron James lost ball turnover (Jabari Smith Jr. steals)	54	54
8:33	Josh Okogie misses layup	54	54
8:31	Luke Kennard defensive rebound	54	54
8:24	Rui Hachimura makes 24-foot three point jumper (Luke Kennard assists)	57	54
8:06	Amen Thompson misses 19-foot jumper	57	54
8:02	Deandre Ayton defensive rebound	57	54
7:55	Alperen Sengun blocks Rui Hachimura 's 3-foot layup	57	54
7:53	Amen Thompson defensive rebound	57	54
7:47	Josh Okogie misses 26-foot running jump shot	57	54
7:44	LeBron James defensive rebound	57	54
7:37	Marcus Smart misses 26-foot three point jumper	57	54
7:33	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	57	54
7:18	Amen Thompson makes 12-foot jumper (Alperen Sengun assists)	57	56
6:54	Luke Kennard makes 25-foot three point jumper (Marcus Smart assists)	60	56
6:24	Reed Sheppard misses two point shot	60	56
6:22	Alperen Sengun offensive rebound	60	56
6:10	Amen Thompson misses driving layup	60	56
6:09	Lakers Full timeout	60	56
6:09	Jake LaRavia enters the game for Marcus Smart	60	56
6:09	Tari Eason enters the game for Josh Okogie	60	56
6:09	Clint Capela enters the game for Alperen Sengun	60	56
6:09	Amen Thompson vs. Rui Hachimura (Luke Kennard gains possession)	60	56
6:09	Amen Thompson offensive rebound	60	56
6:09	Amen Thompson lost ball turnover (Rui Hachimura steals)	60	56
5:52	LeBron James makes 1-foot two point shot	62	56
5:32	Reed Sheppard misses driving floating jump shot	62	56
5:29	Deandre Ayton defensive rebound	62	56
5:21	Rui Hachimura bad pass turnover (Amen Thompson steals)	62	56
5:15	LeBron James personal foul	62	56
5:15	Jaxson Hayes enters the game for Deandre Ayton	62	56
5:07	Amen Thompson vs. Rui Hachimura (Luke Kennard gains possession)	62	56
5:07	Amen Thompson lost ball turnover (Rui Hachimura steals)	62	56
5:07	Rockets delay of game violation	62	56
5:01	Jabari Smith Jr. transition take foul	62	56
5:01	Luke Kennard makes free throw 1 of 1	63	56
5:01	Jae'Sean Tate enters the game for Amen Thompson	63	56
5:00	Tari Eason personal foul	63	56
5:00	Jake LaRavia makes free throw 1 of 2	64	56
5:00	Jake LaRavia makes free throw 2 of 2	65	56
4:49	Reed Sheppard bad pass turnover (LeBron James steals)	65	56
4:47	Reed Sheppard blocks Jake LaRavia 's 3-foot layup	65	56
4:47	Lakers offensive team rebound	65	56
4:37	LeBron James misses 15-foot two point shot	65	56
4:34	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	65	56
4:26	Reed Sheppard misses two point shot	65	56
4:25	Jae'Sean Tate offensive rebound	65	56
4:25	Jae'Sean Tate misses tip shot	65	56
4:24	Jae'Sean Tate offensive rebound	65	56
4:23	Jae'Sean Tate misses tip shot	65	56
4:23	Luke Kennard defensive rebound	65	56
4:19	LeBron James bad pass turnover (Jae'Sean Tate steals)	65	56
4:13	Jae'Sean Tate makes running layup (Tari Eason assists)	65	58
4:02	Reed Sheppard personal foul	65	58
4:02	Jake LaRavia makes free throw 1 of 2	66	58
4:02	Marcus Smart enters the game for LeBron James	66	58
4:02	Jake LaRavia makes free throw 2 of 2	67	58
4:02	Rockets Full timeout	67	58
4:02	Aaron Holiday enters the game for Jabari Smith Jr.	67	58
4:02	Amen Thompson enters the game for Reed Sheppard	67	58
4:02	Alperen Sengun enters the game for Clint Capela	67	58
3:39	Tari Eason makes 5-foot driving floating jump shot	67	60
3:15	Tari Eason personal foul	67	60
3:15	Luke Kennard makes free throw 1 of 2	68	60
3:15	Luke Kennard makes free throw 2 of 2	69	60
2:55	Jae'Sean Tate misses 4-foot two point shot	69	60
2:53	Jae'Sean Tate offensive rebound	69	60
2:53	Jaxson Hayes shooting foul	69	60
2:53	Amen Thompson misses free throw 1 of 2	69	60
2:53	Rockets offensive team rebound	69	60
2:53	Amen Thompson makes free throw 2 of 2	69	61
2:32	Marcus Smart makes 2-foot layup (Jake LaRavia assists)	71	61
2:18	Alperen Sengun misses 13-foot two point shot	71	61
2:17	Amen Thompson offensive rebound	71	61
2:16	Amen Thompson makes tip shot	71	63
1:59	Marcus Smart misses 11-foot pullup jump shot	71	63
1:56	Tari Eason defensive rebound	71	63
1:41	Aaron Holiday misses driving floating jump shot	71	63
1:41	Lakers defensive team rebound	71	63
1:41	Jae'Sean Tate loose ball foul	71	63
1:41	Jae'Sean Tate technical foul	71	63
1:41	Luke Kennard makes technical free throw	72	63
1:41	technical foul	72	63
1:41	Luke Kennard misses technical free throw	72	63
1:41	Lakers offensive team rebound	72	63
1:41	Marcus Smart misses free throw 1 of 2	72	63
1:41	Lakers offensive team rebound	72	63
1:41	Jarred Vanderbilt enters the game for Luke Kennard	72	63
1:41	LeBron James enters the game for Rui Hachimura	72	63
1:41	Marcus Smart makes free throw 2 of 2	73	63
1:41	Jabari Smith Jr. enters the game for Tari Eason	73	63
1:22	Jaxson Hayes blocks Alperen Sengun 's 6-foot two point shot	73	63
1:21	Jake LaRavia defensive rebound	73	63
1:10	Jake LaRavia lost ball turnover (Amen Thompson steals)	73	63
1:08	Jake LaRavia blocks Amen Thompson 's 3-foot running layup	73	63
1:08	Rockets offensive team rebound	73	63
1:08	Rockets Full timeout	73	63
59.6	Jake LaRavia shooting foul	73	63
59.6	Jabari Smith Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2	73	64
59.6	Jabari Smith Jr. misses free throw 2 of 2	73	64
55.6	LeBron James defensive rebound	73	64
45.7	Jae'Sean Tate personal foul	73	64
45.7	Jaxson Hayes makes free throw 1 of 2	74	64
45.7	Jaxson Hayes makes free throw 2 of 2	75	64
29.6	Amen Thompson makes 11-foot driving floating jump shot	75	66
9.7	Jake LaRavia misses 25-foot three point jumper	75	66
9.2	Amen Thompson defensive rebound	75	66
3.1	Marcus Smart shooting foul	75	66
3.1	Deandre Ayton enters the game for Jaxson Hayes	75	66
3.1	Amen Thompson misses free throw 1 of 2	75	66
3.1	Rockets offensive team rebound	75	66
3.1	Luke Kennard enters the game for Jake LaRavia	75	66
3.1	Amen Thompson misses free throw 2 of 2	75	66
3.1	Josh Okogie enters the game for Alperen Sengun	75	66
0.3	Marcus Smart defensive rebound	75	66
0.0	End of the 3rd Quarter	75	66

4th Quarter

TIME	PLAY	LAL	HOU
12:00	Rui Hachimura enters the game for Marcus Smart	75	66
12:00	Reed Sheppard enters the game for Aaron Holiday	75	66
12:00	Clint Capela enters the game for Jae'Sean Tate	75	66
11:43	Rui Hachimura misses 23-foot three point jumper	75	66
11:40	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	75	66
11:29	Rui Hachimura personal foul	75	66
11:20	Reed Sheppard makes 28-foot three point jumper (Amen Thompson assists)	75	69
10:57	Rui Hachimura makes 15-foot step back jumpshot (LeBron James assists)	77	69
10:38	Reed Sheppard out of bounds bad pass turnover	77	69
10:32	Josh Okogie personal foul	77	69
10:24	Deandre Ayton offensive foul	77	69
10:24	Deandre Ayton offensive foul turnover	77	69
10:03	Amen Thompson misses 24-foot three point jumper	77	69
9:58	Jarred Vanderbilt defensive rebound	77	69
9:51	Rui Hachimura makes 18-foot pullup jump shot (Luke Kennard assists)	79	69
9:38	Reed Sheppard misses 26-foot three point pullup jump shot	79	69
9:37	Lakers defensive team rebound	79	69
9:21	Luke Kennard makes 27-foot three point jumper (Deandre Ayton assists)	82	69
9:10	Luke Kennard personal foul	82	69
9:10	Alperen Sengun enters the game for Amen Thompson	82	69
9:10	Tari Eason enters the game for Clint Capela	82	69
9:04	Reed Sheppard out of bounds bad pass turnover	82	69
8:52	Deandre Ayton traveling turnover	82	69
8:36	Tari Eason makes 24-foot three point jumper (Reed Sheppard assists)	82	72
8:21	LeBron James makes 27-foot three pointer	85	72
8:04	Reed Sheppard misses 6-foot two point shot	85	72
8:02	Jarred Vanderbilt defensive rebound	85	72
7:58	Luke Kennard makes 26-foot three pointer	88	72
7:57	LeBron James loose ball foul	88	72
7:57	Rockets Full timeout	88	72
7:57	Amen Thompson enters the game for Josh Okogie	88	72
7:38	Alperen Sengun makes 5-foot two point shot	88	74
7:22	Amen Thompson shooting foul	88	74
7:22	LeBron James misses free throw 1 of 2	88	74
7:22	Lakers offensive team rebound	88	74
7:22	LeBron James misses free throw 2 of 2	88	74
7:20	Tari Eason defensive rebound	88	74
7:03	Alperen Sengun misses 6-foot two point shot	88	74
7:01	LeBron James defensive rebound	88	74
6:55	Rui Hachimura misses 26-foot three point jumper	88	74
6:54	Rockets defensive team rebound	88	74
6:54	Jarred Vanderbilt loose ball foul	88	74
6:54	Marcus Smart enters the game for LeBron James	88	74
6:42	Alperen Sengun makes 1-foot driving dunk (Reed Sheppard assists)	88	76
6:25	Luke Kennard makes 27-foot three point jumper (Deandre Ayton assists)	91	76
6:15	Jarred Vanderbilt personal foul	91	76
6:15	Alperen Sengun misses free throw 1 of 2	91	76
6:15	Rockets offensive team rebound	91	76
6:15	Alperen Sengun makes free throw 2 of 2	91	77
5:58	Luke Kennard misses driving layup	91	77
5:56	Jabari Smith Jr. defensive rebound	91	77
5:51	Tari Eason makes 23-foot running jump shot (Reed Sheppard assists)	91	80
5:50	Lakers Full timeout	91	80
5:50	LeBron James enters the game for Luke Kennard	91	80
5:29	Marcus Smart makes 26-foot three point step back jumpshot (LeBron James assists)	94	80
5:05	Jabari Smith Jr. misses 28-foot three point jumper	94	80
5:01	Jarred Vanderbilt defensive rebound	94	80
4:43	LeBron James makes 6-foot two point shot	96	80
4:31	Rui Hachimura blocks Amen Thompson 's 3-foot driving layup	96	80
4:30	Tari Eason offensive rebound	96	80
4:29	Tari Eason makes two point shot	96	82
4:13	LeBron James misses 6-foot two point shot	96	82
4:10	Tari Eason defensive rebound	96	82
3:57	Jabari Smith Jr. misses 25-foot three point jumper	96	82
3:55	Jabari Smith Jr. offensive rebound	96	82
3:54	Jabari Smith Jr. misses 23-foot three point jumper	96	82
3:54	LeBron James defensive rebound	96	82
3:31	Deandre Ayton misses 6-foot two point shot	96	82
3:29	Tari Eason defensive rebound	96	82
3:22	Tari Eason makes driving layup (Alperen Sengun assists)	96	84
3:22	Jarred Vanderbilt shooting foul	96	84
3:22	Luke Kennard enters the game for Jarred Vanderbilt	96	84
3:22	Josh Okogie enters the game for Reed Sheppard	96	84
3:22	Tari Eason misses free throw 1 of 1	96	84
3:22	Lakers defensive team rebound	96	84
3:22	Alperen Sengun loose ball foul	96	84
3:22	Lakers Full timeout	96	84
3:22	(03:22) [Lakers] COACH'S CHALLENGE (CALL OVERTURNED) [Lakers] retain their timeout	96	84
2:57	LeBron James makes 9-foot two point shot	98	84
2:48	Alperen Sengun misses 30-foot three point jumper	98	84
2:46	LeBron James defensive rebound	98	84
2:45	Amen Thompson personal foul	98	84
2:36	Marcus Smart out of bounds bad pass turnover	98	84
2:29	Amen Thompson misses two point shot	98	84
2:28	Alperen Sengun offensive rebound	98	84
2:28	Rui Hachimura shooting foul	98	84
2:28	Alperen Sengun makes free throw 1 of 2	98	85
2:28	Alperen Sengun misses free throw 2 of 2	98	85
2:26	Jabari Smith Jr. offensive rebound	98	85
2:26	Reed Sheppard enters the game for Josh Okogie	98	85
2:19	Alperen Sengun makes driving layup (Reed Sheppard assists)	98	87
2:12	Marcus Smart lost ball turnover (Amen Thompson steals)	98	87
2:06	Tari Eason makes 3-foot running dunk (Alperen Sengun assists)	98	89
1:48	Deandre Ayton makes 2-foot floating jump shot (LeBron James assists)	100	89
1:40	Amen Thompson makes 3-foot dunk (Alperen Sengun assists)	100	91
1:31	Amen Thompson shooting foul	100	91
1:31	Marcus Smart makes free throw 1 of 2	101	91
1:31	Marcus Smart makes free throw 2 of 2	102	91
1:23	Deandre Ayton blocks Reed Sheppard 's 26-foot three point step back jumpshot	102	91
1:20	Jabari Smith Jr. offensive rebound	102	91
1:20	Reed Sheppard misses 26-foot three point jumper	102	91
1:19	Jabari Smith Jr. offensive rebound	102	91
1:18	Jabari Smith Jr. makes tip in dunk	102	93
1:04	Deandre Ayton makes reverse layup (Marcus Smart assists)	104	93
1:04	Alperen Sengun shooting foul	104	93
1:04	Deandre Ayton makes free throw 1 of 1	105	93
54.5	Alperen Sengun misses 27-foot three point jumper	105	93
51.8	Tari Eason offensive rebound	105	93
50.2	Reed Sheppard makes 26-foot three point jumper (Tari Eason assists)	105	96
42.1	LeBron James makes layup (Luke Kennard assists)	107	96
36.6	Reed Sheppard misses 28-foot three point pullup jump shot	107	96
32.9	Deandre Ayton defensive rebound	107	96
18.4	Luke Kennard bad pass turnover (Tari Eason steals)	107	96
15.8	Tari Eason makes running layup (Reed Sheppard assists)	107	98
15.8	Lakers Full timeout	107	98
15.8	Jake LaRavia enters the game for Deandre Ayton	107	98
15.8	Josh Okogie enters the game for Alperen Sengun	107	98
0.0	End of the 4th Quarter	107	98
0.0	End of Game	107	98

Time, Location & Referees

Game Information

Venue

crypto.com Arena

Los Angeles, CA

Date & Time

12:30 AM, April 19, 2026

Coverage

ABC

Attendance

19,057

Referees

James Capers, Ed Malloy, Tyler Ford, John Butler

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

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Kennard scores 27, LeBron leads Lakers to surprising 107-98 win over Rockets in playoff opener

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