History suggests the Los Angeles Lakers are in prime position to beat the Houston Rockets and advance to the second round of the playoffs. Simply put, LeBron James-led teams are 32-0 historically when they jump out to a 2-0 series lead, a streak that began in the 2006 postseason.
With Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) sidelined for a second consecutive game, James carried the Lakers on the offensive end, finishing with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead the Lakers to a 101-94 win.
Marcus Smart Shines for Lakers
Marcus Smart, the Lakers’ best defensive player, had one of the best offensive games of his season, making timely buckets and plays throughout the contest. The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year finished with 25 points and seven assists, including five threes, while also locking up Kevin Durant on the other end of the floor.
Meanwhile, Luke Kennard added 23 points after his stellar outing in Game 1, as he continued to serve as JJ Redick’s secondary ball-handler besides James.
“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 after the win.
“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.”
Lakers vs Rockets: Lakers Lead 2-0
Durant, who returned to action after missing Game 1 with a knee injury, took only 12 shots in Game 2 and had an uncharacteristic nine turnovers. The two-time NBA Finals MVP finished with 23 points but was a -2 on the floor in his 41 minutes.
“They started doubling me from possession one,” Durant said after the loss.
“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. 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.”
Redick praised Smart for keeping Durant in check with his physical defense.
“He just had a killer game tonight,” the Lakers head coach said of Smart.
“He did a great job defensively, made shots. He’s an unbelievable player.”
The Lakers will try to take a 2-0 lead into Game 3 in Houston on Friday. With the series guaranteed to go to six games, the Lakers now could possibly get both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves back in the first round of the playoffs.
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