After defending their home court in the first two games, the Lakers headed to Houston knowing they would receive the Rockets’ best punch in Game 3. And that they did.

With the news they would be without Kevin Durant for the second time in the series, the Rockets played every bit like a team whose back was against the wall. They crashed the offensive glass, flew around the court and tried every option they had on the bench in search of a different result.

However, just like they did in the first two games, the Lakers endured every swing and matched Houston’s desperation en route to a nail-biting 112-108 win in overtime.

It wasn’t a perfect game. No playoff games typically are. But the Lakers proved once again that they can win ugly and in unfathomable ways. And that’s the reason they own a commanding 3-0 lead in the series with a chance for the sweep on Sunday.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the crazy win.

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A fourth quarter (and overtime) in two parts

It may seem like it happened last week, but the Lakers led by 15 at one point in Game 3. They dictated the terms, their offense clicked and they looked like the team deserving to be up so convincingly in the series. Then the second half happened. And then it snowballed in the fourth quarter.

After trailing for the majority of the first half, the Rockets outscored the Lakers by 11 points in the second (excluding overtime). They clamped down on the Lakers’ offense and continued to be relentless in the paint and the glass on the other end. With 41 seconds left in regulation, the Rockets were suddenly up six. The brooms would have to be put back into closets across Los Angeles.

The Lakers had blown it. They had not only failed to step on the neck of their weakened foe, but had, even worse, afforded them hope — or so it seemed.

Like they have done all year, the Lakers ultimately came through in the clutch. LeBron James’ game-tying 3-pointer capped off a wild final minute and sent the contest into overtime, where the Lakers ultimately staved off the Rockets’ potentially final gasp.

All of the turmoil, injuries and close games the Lakers endured this season actually ended up preparing them for moments like this. The playoffs are fought in the trenches and it’s the trenches where the Lakers have thrived.

Marcus Smart’s omnipresence

If LeBron James’ clutch 3-pointer goes on to be the lasting picture of Game 3, then it was Marcus Smart’s fingerprints and sweat that were smeared over the lens.

To say Smart played a part in the win would be a severe understatement. In his 39 minutes, Smart finished with 21 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, 7 stocks (5 steals and 2 blocks) and was the only starter with a positive net rating. The Lakers wound up needing every stat.

Beyond the all-encompassing numbers, Smart consistently found himself involved in every big play down the stretch.

It was his steal and three free throws that breathed life back into a Lakers’ team left for dead with 25 seconds left. It was his three that opened the scoring in overtime. And it was his timely rebounds and trips to the free-throw line that sealed it.

The Houston Rockets had possession with 27.8 seconds left in regulation and a 101-95 lead

Marcus Smart outscored Houston by himself 11-7 to end the game, including 8-7 by himself in overtime alone pic.twitter.com/xV5OXfCPgz

— Law Murray 🪺 (@LawMurrayTheNU) April 25, 2026

Smart’s Game 3 performance was the latest example of what has made him so valuable this season and the Lakers’ collective spirit in the first round.

No matter how severe the odds, Smart feels like he can beat them with sheer effort and guile alone. And so far, he’s proving he’s right.

A big night from the bench

Once it became known that the Lakers would be without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves for a portion, if not all, of their series against the Rockets, it became evident that it would take a collective effort to extend their season.

After getting key contributions from the likes of Smart and Luke Kennard in the first two games, it was the bench in Game 3 that came up big.

The foursome of Jaxson Hayes, Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt and Bronny James scored a combined 24 points and were each a positive in the plus/minus department. In contrast, the Rockets’ six reserves scored just 3 points and all finished with a negative plus/minus.

Outside of their totals, each player off the bench also chipped in from a momentum perspective.

Hayes’ hard rolls and athleticism on both ends helped alleviate a quiet offensive game from Ayton. LaRavia and Vanderbilt’s hard-nosed defense and second chance creation kept the team afloat during the rough patches. And Bronny James’ helpful second quarter minutes — highlighted by his alley-oop finish that was thrown from his father— provided a spark.

It was always going to take the entire team to make up for what is currently lost. And with all signs pointing to a near return for Reaves, the Lakers have not only succeeded in holding down the fort, but also put themselves in a better position than anyone could have imagined.

All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Bluesky at @alexregla.bsky.social.

The San Antonio Spurs had a tough time in Portland, dealing with physicality and athleticism, but they dug deep for their most impressive win of the season without the mighty Victor Wembanyama. They mucked up the Trail Blazers offensive sets and held them to 111.5 points per 100 possessions, which is good enough for the 37th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.

They helped loads off the 3-point line to clog the inside, but Portland’s pressure was as unforgiving, forcing six early turnovers and making it equally as difficult to score in the paint with all the incoming help. Yet, the Spurs who stepped up the most were Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle. They gave the team direction when it was badly needed and took them to the finish line.

Observations

• The Spurs faced their largest deficit of the night in the third quarter (15), and took a one-point lead going into the fourth thanks to their defense getting nasty and some big-time scoring from Harper, which carried over into crunch time. One questioned if it was a peak into the future, watching Castle and Harper bail out the team, but after pondering before the deadline of this write-up, the future is now. They are both great shot creators and will be the best backcourt in the NBA before long when they start sharing the court more often at the start of games and polish their 3-point shots.
• Without Wembanyama (concussion), this is an even series. The Spurs’ front line was vulnerable because it had to go small when Luke Kornet sat, yet they were able to stop the Blazers from going wild on the glass. Still, the Blazers had no fear of attacking the lane for a bucket or kick-out pass, and they did damage in transition for most of the game. This also unlocked 29 free throw attempts for the Blazers, but them being so ineffective at the line was a big help to the Spurs.
• Portland’s attack wasn’t anything special. The transition success stemmed from the defense forcing misses, plus turnovers and the Spurs’ inability to generate free throw attempts for 2.5 quarters, which cut the flow of the game. 
• Last season, Andrew Nembhard was the player whose stock went up the most in the playoffs. This year, it’s maybe Scoot Henderson, whose hot streak continued behind a stream of 3-point shots in the first half, but he went cold after intermission.
• Jrue Holiday is a timeless baller, which adds credibility to any advice he gives the youngsters. He was giving it to the Spurs for three quarters, attacking through screen rolls and did well denying the ball. His fingerprints were all over the third quarter, when the Blazers built their largest lead of the game (15). 
• Deni Avdija is one of the biggest foul baiters in the league, which got him a ton of free throw attempts to soften the blow of his poor shooting.  He even drew two of Fox’s three first-half fouls, which limited his aggression following intermission.
• The Trail Blazers came into this game, making only 30.3 percent of their 3-point attempts, and the only spot they shot well from deep was the left corner. They shot 36.8 percent this time, but that number is affected mostly by the Spurs defense making them tighter after intermission.
• Carter Bryant was instant impact when he came in, hustling to break up transition and screen for his teammates. Yet he was a bit exposed because the Blazers didn’t want to guard him closely for lack of a dependable outside shot, which made things harder for his teammates. Still, he was way more of a positive than a negative.

The Toronto Raptors announced Friday that point guard Immanuel Quickley will not be available for the remainder of the team’s first round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Quickley, who was recovering from a hamstring issue, re-injured it during the rehabilitation process. The team added that an update will be provided “as appropriate”.

After several injury-plagued seasons, Quickley appeared in 70 this past year – his most since 2022-2023 when he was a member of the New York Knicks. He is also one of the team’s better three-point shooters at 37% and he attempts the most threes per game on the team. That floor spacing is imperative on a team that is challenged offensively at keeping up with their opponents when the scoring starts coming. On the year, Quickley averaged 16.4 points and 5.9 assists per game.

In his absence, the Raptors have started Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter so far in the series. Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, who was very effective in Game 3 with 22 points off the bench, could also start in Quickley’s place.

The Cavs catch a break with Quickley being ruled out for the series, which narrows the margin of error even more for the Raptors. Cleveland’s offense was very poor in Game 3, but they muscled their way through the first half with a tie and put themselves in position to win entering the fourth quarter. The final score is not indicative of how much the Cavs fought back, so there is good reason to believe the offense will look better in Game 4 just due to regression back to the mean. Toronto, meanwhile, shot 61% from deep in Game 3 – well above their season average.

They did not necessarily need him for Game 3, but Toronto certainly would have liked to see Quickley on the court for another near must-win Game 4. The Raptors trail the series 2-1, and its is fair to say that the first two games are more indicative of what the baseline is for these two teams. The Cavs have had one of the best offenses since the All-Star break, and the Raptors have struggled mightily in that same timeframe.

The Cavs and Raptors will square off in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.

HOUSTON — Lakers coach JJ Redick had a clear message before his team’s Game 3 first round playoff series matchup against the Rockets on Friday night. 

“The desperate team normally wins in the playoffs,” Redick said, “the more desperate team.”

Despite missing two of their best players in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for the entire series, the Lakers have been the better team in the matchup.

And on Friday night, they were also the more desperate team.

After trailing by six points fewer than 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Lakers pulled off a miraculous comeback against the Kevin Durant-less Rockets, beating the Rockets 112-108 in overtime on Friday night at Toyota Center to take a three-game lead in the series.

“There’s a lot of things that happened that were not perfect, including some stuff I did,” Redick said postgame. “But you just kind of get onto the next play. And that, to me, is a hallmark of poise; that’s a hallmark of composure. It’s tough to win on the road in the playoffs. Even without KD, they’re a great basketball team and that was a huge test for us, especially in that moment where we’re down six.”

LeBron James led the Lakers with 29 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. 

Marcus Smart had 21 points, 10 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocked shots. 

Rui Hachimura scored 22 points, including 16 in the first quarter, while Luke Kennard added 14 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds. Jaxson Hayes had 12 points and 4 rebounds off the bench.

The Rockets scratched and clawed their way back into the game after falling behind by 15 in the first half, trailing by 11 at halftime and five at the end of the third quarter.

Alperen Sengun (33 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists), Amen Thompson (26 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists) and Jabari Smith Jr. (24 points, 6 rebounds) all had their best games of the series so far. 

But the Lakers prevailed. 

What it means

The Lakers are up 3-0 in the best-of-seven series against the Rockets, all guaranteeing that they’ll advance to the second round of the playoffs.

No team in NBA history has come back from down 0-3 in a playoff series, with the teams that were up 3-0 advancing all 125 times since the NBA moved to a 16-team playoff in 1984.

The Lakers haven’t been up 3-0 in a playoff series since 2010 when they swept the Jazz in the second round.

Turning point

With the Rockets leading 101-98 with 20 seconds left in regulation, James tapped the ball out of Sheppard’s hand from behind to Smart in the frontcourt. 

Smart passed the ball to James, who passed to Kennard, who passed back to James, who hit a corner 3-pointer to tie the game at 101 apiece with 14 seconds left. 

Hayes got the defensive stop on Sengun on the Rockets’ ensuing possession, with James grabbing the defensive rebound. 

James missed the potential game-winning 3 at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime.

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Co-MVPs: LeBron James and Marcus Smart

Both James and Smart made big plays in the fourth and overtime to secure the victory for the Lakers.

James had the game-changing sequence at the end of the fourth to give the Lakers a shot at winning. 

Smart had big steals, a crucial offensive rebound and knocked down several free throws late to keep the Lakers ahead. 

“Both those guys made big-time plays,” Redick said.

Stat of the game: 6

That’s how many points the Rockets led by, 101-95, late in the fourth before their collapse. 

NBA teams were 1,713-1 when leading by six or more in the last 30 seconds of regulation in the playoffs in the last 29 years, according to ESPN.

Now, they’re 1,713-2.

Up next

Game 4 of Lakers-Rockets is scheduled for Sunday at Toyota Center, with a 6:30 p.m. PT tipoff.

A couple of weeks ago, the thought of the Lakers being lucky injury-wise was laughable. However, now that they’ve played three playoff games, LA is trending in a positive direction with its injuries, and other Western Conference teams are in trouble.

The Denver Nuggets are trailing 2-1 in their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Aaron Gordon missed Game 3 with tightness in his calf. The San Antonio Spurs are tied 1-1 against the Portland Trail Blazers, but were without Victor Wembanyama in Game 3 due to a concussion.

And the Oklahoma City Thunder may be up 2-0 against the Phoenix Suns, but Jalen Williams sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated weekly.

The Lakers, on the other hand, are in front of the Houston Rockets 3-0, have suffered no additional injuries and Austin Reaves is inching closer to a return.

Barring a setback, his return is imminent. LA is winning, Reaves is returning and, suddenly, a season that felt like a loss has gotten interesting once again.

So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

45 minutes, 29 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 8 turnovers, 1 foul, 10-22 FG, 4-9 3PT, 5-6 FT, 0

LeBron had a slow start to this game, but he certainly picked up his production as the contest progressed. He had an amazing moment in the first half, lobbing the ball to Bronny and adding another historic moment to this family affair.

LEBRON TO BRONNY.
FATHER TO SON.

BRON ASSIST ➡️ BRONNY REVERSE. pic.twitter.com/OHEWmQuw1O

— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2026

In the third, LeBron scored some timely baskets to keep the Rockets away and when Houston took over late in the fourth, Bron poked the ball away from Reed Sheppard and hit a huge three to extend the game to overtime.

He was incredible, and as LA’s leader, he’s found a way to get this team out to a 3-0 lead despite their two other stars being unavailable. This series will be part of his highlight reel in a career filled with iconic moments.

Grade: A+

Rui Hachimura

44 minutes, 22 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 5 fouls, 8-14 FG, 4-7 3PT, 2-4 FT, 0

Hachimura was an offensive monster in this game. He started the game a perfect 6-6 from the field and remained impactful the rest of the way. Hachimura is a playoff riser, and he’s been that throughout his Lakers tenure.

Grade: A

Deandre Ayton

33 minutes, 2 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 1-3 FG, -6

Ayton had a rough game and was benched once again during clutch time in the fourth. However, he played in overtime, won a jump ball over Alperen Şengün and had some good defensive possessions against the Rockets’ big.

He needs to be better, but he stepped up in small ways when it mattered late in this game.

Grade: C-

Marcus Smart

39 minutes, 21 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 5-9 FG, 2-4 3PT, 9-11 FT, +3

The Lakers don’t win this game without Marcus Smart. He scored 21 points, had some huge defensive rebounds and knocked down some clutch free throws in overtime to bury the Rockets.

He’s as tough as nails on the court, and his intensity is something you simply can’t teach. He establishes this team’s identity and makes everyone around him better by his mere presence.

Grade: A+

Luke Kennard

45 minutes, 14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 4-12 FG, 1-6 3PT, 5-6 FT, -3

Kennard regressed back to the mean. He wasn’t an offensive juggernaut like he was in Game 1 and didn’t find other ways to be effective.

This was just an average performance from Kennard and LA is fortunate that it didn’t cost them.

Grade: B

Jaxson Hayes

20 minutes, 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 5-8 FG, 2-3 FT, +7

Hayes didn’t dominate in this game, but he had a monster dunk in the first half and had a key stop against Şengün in the closing seconds to extend the game to overtime.

He was a defensive liability late in this contest, but the Lakers won and the timely stop helps the outlook on his overall performance.

Grade: C

Jake LaRavia

15 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 1-4 FG, +9

LaRavia had some awful misses, was turning the ball over, stumbling on the ground and started to get passive with his shot attempts in the second half. Props to LaRavia for playing through an ankle sprain, but he has been horrendous.

Hopefully, he plays better because the Lakers have a tight rotation and can’t afford to have someone playing this badly.

Grade: F

Jarred Vanderbilt

15 minutes, 5 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 fouls, 2-5 FG, 0-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, +6

It turns out that if you play Vando more, his offense improves and his defense remains elite. He had some nice passes in this game and an impressive up-and-under finish at the rim.

I doubt head coach JJ Redick will keep him in the rotation once Luka Dončić and Reaves come back, but he should seriously consider it.

Grade: B

Bronny James

9 minutes, 5 points, 1 foul, 2-2 FG, 1-1 3PT, +4

Bronny had a great moment in the second quarter, converting on a lob from LeBron, and a short shift in the fourth that was okay. The growth he’s had recently is impressive, but it still might be a bit too much playing time for a close contest in the postseason.

Grade: B

Nick Smith Jr.

Smith Jr. appeared only on the final play of regulation and will also not be graded.

JJ Redick

It wasn’t a perfect game for Redick. He couldn’t help the Lakers as they struggled offensively in the third and playing Bronny in the fourth was rough.

Still, he made the right calls in overtime, going with Ayton, and used his timeouts effectively down the stretch. Redick has done a superb job with his game plan throughout this series and Game 3 was no exception.

Grade: B

Friday’s DNPs: Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero

Friday’s inactives: Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

The Eagles were busy handling business on Friday night as they navigated Day 2 of the NFL Draft, but the real action was at the Sixers game.

Not only was first-round pick Makai Lemon inaugurated into Philly sports culture by ringing the bell ahead of the Sixers-Celtics game, but he took in the game court-side next to DeVonta Smith. Tank Bigsby was also in attendance, and later in the night, after the Eagles officially traded for Jonathan Greenard, it turns out the former Vikings edge rusher was in the building for the Sixers’ game, too.

John Clark tracked down Jonathan Greenard in record time 😂

The new Eagles edge rusher was at the Sixers game when trade news broke. pic.twitter.com/1DXKspoDhE

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) April 25, 2026

Greenard spoke to John Clark about the environment from Philly fans was exactly what he was expecting, and while he doesn’t quite know how he’ll fit into Vic Fangio’s scheme, he called the DC a genius and said they’ll figure it out.

It’s always cool to see the connection between the Philly sports teams, and there’s nothing like a handful of Eagles — new and old — taking in some playoff basketball together, surrounded by the same fans who will be cheering for them in a few months.

Awesome moment for Makai Lemon. The crowd erupted. pic.twitter.com/9tdWADO36P

— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) April 24, 2026