The Los Angeles Lakers proved doubters and analysts wrong by winning their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets in six games. Luka Dončić did not play, and Austin Reaves appeared in just two games. LeBron James led his squad to victory anyway and continued to defy Father Time.
LeBron James Silences “Experts” Who Predicted the Lakers to Lose
Steve Nash and James dropped a new episode of their “Mind the Game” podcast that focused on the Round-1 series. Nash congratulated the Lakers superstar on advancing to the second round, pointing out that 15 of 16 ESPN analysts picked Los Angeles to lose. The 41-year-old James described the Lakers’ mindset heading into the series as underdogs.
“I felt like it had to start with our preparation and our belief. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what the bookmakers are saying or the so-called experts are saying; the game is always won in between the four lines … We knew we was going against a different circumstance and against the odds obviously without Luka, without [Austin Reaves] to start the series,” said James.
Los Angeles was without two key playmakers and shot creators in Reaves and Dončić. Head coach JJ Redick inserted Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard into the starting lineup, and the veteran guards responded.
Kennard scored 27, 23, and 14 points in the first three games, averaging 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists for the series. Smart put up 14.7 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.7 rebounds, including 25 and 21 points in Games 2 and 3.
James led the Lakers across the board with 23.2 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.2 rebounds against Houston. He scored at least 28 points in three games.
The Rockets have size, athleticism, and physicality with Alperen Şengün, Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Jabari Smith Jr., and they posted a top-six defensive rating of 112.1 in the regular season. However, Durant was sidelined for the bulk of the series, and the Rockets ultimately failed to stop James and the Lakers.
“If we could prepare ourselves and compete at a high level and we could bring the physicality that Houston brought to the table, then we felt like we had a good chance of trying to win each game, and that’s all that mattered,” James said. “It wasn’t about the series. We was like, ‘How can we win one game at a time?’ And I think we started building confidence.”
Los Angeles resumes its quest for the championship tonight, as it takes on the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Dončić is not close to returning.
“Most likely you’re not gonna see Luka Dončić at the front end of this series, maybe at least for another week to 10 days… [at] the minimum,” reported Windhorst.
Jalen Williams suffered a grade 1 hamstring strain in Game 2 of the Thunder’s opening series against the Phoenix Suns. He will not play in Game 1, so both teams enter the series shorthanded.
