The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into Game 3 of their first-round series against the Rockets in a shocking position–they’ve won both of their opening two games against Houston and have a 2-0 lead in a series in which they were considerable underdogs because of the loss of the team’s two leading scorers–Luka Doncic, who is out with a hamstring injury, and Austin Reaves, who is out with an oblique injury. Who knew that, without them, it would be Luke Kennard assuming a starring role?
But that’s what’s happened, as both Kennard and guard Marcus Smart have filled in admirably for Reaves and Doncic, with Kennard taking over as lead guard and scoring 50 points in the first two games combined, shooting 17-for-26 from the field and 8-for-11 from the 3-point line.
When he went to the free-throw line late in Game 2, Kennard even heard chants of “M-V-P!” from the Crypto.com faithful. Said Kennard: “I did hear those. I appreciate that, Lakers fans.”
Lakers Responded to Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves Injuries
Kennard, though, also heard plenty of anxiety around the Lakers following the injuries to Doncic and Reaves, and make no mistake, a 2-0 lead in a playoff series does not mean a sure win. The Lakers still have to go to Houston on Friday and Sunday for Games 3 and 4, and could easily come back to Los Angeles in a 2-2 tie.
But the fact that the Lakers have proven so resilient goes back to a message the Lakers delivered to themselves, Kennard said.
“We lost a couple games,” he told reporters. “And I know we just kind of flipped the switch. We told each other, ‘This is what we got right now. We got to believe in what we have. We got to push each other, elevate each other and play as hard as we can.’ I thought we figured some things out out there, in the regular season, that kind of led into the playoffs for us.”
Luke Kennard: ‘It’s the Biggest Stage’
What’s been most impressive about Kennard is the way he has stepped onto the big stage and thrived. When the Lakers plucked him in a trade from the Hawks at the February trade deadline, for Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-rounder, few foresaw that move as one that would truly make much difference for L.A. Kennard had been averaging just 7.9 points on 20.5 minutes in Atlanta.
He had also been in just 28 playoff games in his nine-year career, in which he has bounced through five different organizations. Kennard averaged just 7.1 points in those games–he only started two of them–but now in a starring role for the Lakers, he seems unperturbed.
He said after the Game 2 win: “Playing here, it’s like you’re playing on the biggest stage of basketball. I knew that when I got traded here this season. It was just a great opportunity for me to play with some of the greats of this game. It kind of showed what I can bring to the team and hopefully bring a impact to winning.
“So, like I said, it’s the biggest stage an I’m having a lot of fun it’s definitely bright lights but again, just trying to be myself and make an impact wherever I can.”
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