The Los Angeles Lakers are now one win away from a sweep after taking a 3–0 series lead, edging the Houston Rockets 112-108 on the road.
Close games have been a theme all season for Los Angeles, and it showed again in Game 3. The Lakers finished the year with a 22-8 record in clutch situations, and that poise proved decisive down the stretch.
Houston surged with a strong third and fourth quarter, grabbing a late lead in the final period. But LeBron James and the Lakers responded — James knocked down a clutch 3-pointer with 13.6 seconds remaining to even the score and swing momentum.
Friday marked Houston’s second playoff game without Kevin Durant (ankle), and the outcome didn’t change. Another loss. Alperen Şengün led all scorers with 33 points, adding 16 rebounds and six assists. The Rockets’ perimeter shooting continues to be an issue at 28.2 percent, though Jabari Smith Jr. provided a spark, hitting 6 of 10 from deep for 24 points. Amen Thompson added a 26-point, 11-rebound double-double.
For L.A., James finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, while Marcus recorded a 21-point, 10-assist double-double. Rui Hachimura also contributed 21 points.
Here are the key takeaways from Game 3 as the series heads toward a potential closeout in Houston.
Father Time lost again
James was exhausted, his jersey pulled over his head after a fourth-quarter turnover. His legs were heavy. He was the last Lakers player off the bench during timeouts as JJ Redick checked with him and trainer Mike Mancias to see if he could keep going. James nodded.
He kept going. The Lakers didn’t quit. And when the biggest shot of the night needed to be taken, James was waiting in the corner after a wild Houston Rockets turnover gave him one more chance. Swish.
He didn’t hit the game-winner, but James forced overtime and opened the door for Marcus Smart to take over with eight extra-period points, pushing the Lakers to a 3-0 series lead. — Dan Woike, Lakers writer
A stunning heartbreaker
This Rockets team is well-versed in late-game collapses, but they pulled off on Friday night may have ended their season.
Houston led by six with fewer than 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter and somehow allowed the Lakers to force tie the game in regulation and eventually steal the win in overtime, giving Los Angeles a commanding 3-0 lead in what has become the most stunning first-round series of these playoffs.
With Kevin Durant sidelined by a sprained left ankle, the Rockets didn’t have their usual closer and looked rattled in the biggest moments of their most important game of the season. First, Jae’Sean Tate fouled Marcus Smart on a 3-pointer with 25.4 seconds left. Then Reed Sheppard threw away the ensuing inbounds pass, leading directly to a game-tying 3 from LeBron James.
In overtime, the Lakers did enough to finish it off and, for all practical purposes, put Houston on the brink. For a Rockets team that entered the series as a heavy favorite, they are now one loss from a stunning sweep. — Will Guillory, Rockets writer
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