The Los Angeles Lakers were done. Down six with the ball out of their hands and 30 seconds left on the clock in Houston, the math did not work. The series lead was about to shrink to 2-1.
It never did. Marcus Smart had other ideas, and LeBron James followed with a clutch steal and three-pointer to tie it with 14 seconds remaining. The Lakers survived overtime and walked out of Toyota Center with a 112-108 win, a 3-0 series lead, and one of the more improbable victories of the postseason so far.
Postgame, one Lakers player was refreshingly candid about what he thought was happening in those final seconds.
Hachimura Admits He Thought the Game Was Over
GettyRui Hachimura of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Rui Hachimura did not sugarcoat it. Postgame, the forward admitted that the final seconds felt like a lost cause in the moment. As he put it: “not going to lie if it was the regular season we probably would’ve let it go.”
It is the kind of honesty that does not always make it into postgame pressers. Hachimura was not wrong in his assessment. At that moment, the Lakers had no business winning that game. But playoff basketball operates on a different frequency, and Smart did not need everyone in the building to believe. He just needed himself.
Hachimura backed up his words with his performance. He finished with 22 points on the night, part of a collective effort that saw six Lakers reach double figures in a game missing two of its biggest names.
LeBron Leads the Way Without Luka and Durant
GettyLeBron James looks on during the Lakers’ Game 3 comeback.
This was not a full-strength playoff game. Luka Doncic sat out for Los Angeles with a left hamstring strain, and Austin Reaves was also sidelined. On the Houston side, Kevin Durant missed the game with a left ankle sprain, his second absence of the series.
LeBron filled the void. He finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and a block in 40-plus minutes. Smart added 21 points and 10 assists, controlling the game’s decisive moments when it mattered most. Luke Kennard contributed 14 points and six assists off the bench.
For Houston, Jabari Smith Jr. led the way with a strong first half before the Rockets‘ offense stalled when they needed it most. Amen Thompson was active throughout but could not prevent the collapse in the final minute of regulation.
Final Word for the Lakers
Los Angeles now sits one win away from a series sweep on the road. Game 4 is Sunday in Houston, with the winner of this series set to face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals.
The Lakers have been without key pieces all season and all series. They keep finding ways regardless.
Smart and James did not think it was over. That was enough.
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