Category: NBA

Joe Mazzulla has stuck to his guns with his starting lineup and who he plays off of the bench.

Well, expect a for at center but that is a different story.

The Celtics have started the same five of Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta in all 6 games of the first round. That lineup is -15 in 58 minutes in the series.

All season, Mazzulla was flexible with his rotations, starting Josh Minott, Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman for different stretches this season and now that we have reached the playoffs, he’s been fairly rigid. Why is that?

Hugo Gonzalez and Ron Harper Jr. just cannot get on the court and Scheierman has been the seldom used 9th guy the entire series. These are guys who played roles throughout the regular season because they all played very well for the Celtics. They have all shown they are solid NBA players.

I don’t know that I love the Tatum at center look but that is another thing that Mazzulla hasn’t tried it at all.

What advantage has Hauser given them in the starting lineup? What advantage has any of their bigs given them?

The Celtics best lineup in Game 6 was Payton Pritchard, Harper Jr., Scheierman, Walsh and Luka Garza, they were a +6 in 9 minutes. Sure, it was at the end of the game and that lineup isn’t sustainable, but Philly had their starters out there for a bit with those guys on the floor and they played well.

They are good players who played the brand of basketball you played all season, the brand of basketball that won you 56 games and took a 3-1 lead in this series.

No, you can’t pull Derrick White. He hasn’t played well but he is apart of the fabric of everything they do, they need him. However, they don’t need to go down on the Sam Hauser ship.

Yet, we need to question if it really matters. Is Harper, Scheierman, Gonzalez or anyone else really going to change anything? These are role players. If the Celtics best players don’t play well, it really doesn’t matter who plays or how much they play.

Before the playoffs, I wrote about how this was Jaylen Brown’s moment to prove he is one of the best players in the NBA, but he has more turnovers than assists in this series.

It is easy for us to look at a coach who keeps putting the same players on the court when it is not working and tell him to change it when there is a reason he started off with the guys on the court.

Yet, when you look back at the 2023 2nd round when the Celtics were down 3-2 heading to Philadelphia and Mazzulla made a change to his starting 5 by putting Robert Williams in there for Derrick White, it worked. When it stopped working in the Miami series, Joe went back to White and it worked until Jayson Tatum rolled his ankle in Game 7.

I do think Joe has been too stubborn with his rotations in this series. I do think he should have tried different guys as it became increasingly clear that what he has been trying have not been working.

Now, the Celtics are on the verge of being the 14th team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 lead. While it isn’t entirely due to Mazzulla not changing up his starting 5 or rotations, the Celtics are on the ropes and it is time for Joe Mazzulla to do something different.

LeBron James scored 28 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets to set up a Western Conference semi-final play-off against reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder.

James also added seven rebounds and eight assists to help the Lakers to a 98-78 victory, which secured a 4-2 series win against the Rockets.

The Lakers had led the series 3-0 and finally closed out the best-of-seven contest in convincing style away at Houston, whose top scorer was Amen Thompson with 18 points.

"A lot of our guys, quite frankly, have not been in this position, have not been in a close-out situation, especially on the road, so it was important for me to go out and set the tone," said 41-year-old James.

He told Amazon Prime: "The mission has always stayed the same no matter what my role has been throughout my career, and that is to go out there and try to dominate.

"Obviously, I have the most experience on the team and have the most play-off experience on the team so I know how a series can go. I just try to bleed that into them, bleed the confidence and tell them to go out and play."

Lakers coach JJ Redick was full of admiration for the performance of James, who is the first player to take part in 23 consecutive NBA seasons and is also the league's record points scorer.

"To me, he's had the greatest career of any NBA player," said Redick. "You can argue all you want; I don't care to postulate on who's the greatest of all time.

"He's one of, if not the greatest of all time, and for him to do it again and answer the bell again, it's baffling in some ways."

The Lakers face a tough task against the Thunder, who finished top of the Western Conference and secured a 4-0 series win against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA play-offs.

The first game of their best-of-seven series is in Oklahoma on Tuesday.

Pistons and Raptors set up deciders

Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons, who finished top of the Eastern Conference, produced a stunning comeback to beat the Orlando Magic 93-79 to level their first-round series at 3-3 and set up a deciding game seven.

Detroit had trailed by as much as 24 points in game six, with the Magic having led 62-38 early in the third quarter when they looked to have moved themselves to the brink of a first play-off series win since 2010.

But Orlando missed 23 consecutive field goals and the Pistons, who were 3-1 down in the series, took full advantage to force a seventh game..

"Never say die, simple as that," said Detroit's Cade Cunningham, who top scored in the match with 32 points.

"I mean, Detroit grit, it's what we've been talking about all year."

The final game of the series will be on Sunday in Detroit and the winner will play either the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Toronto Raptors, whose first-round play-off will also go to a deciding game seven.

RJ Barrett sank a three-pointer, which hit the rim of the basket and looped up in the air before dropping in, with 1.2 seconds left in overtime to give the Raptors a dramatic 112-110 victory in game six as they levelled the series at 3-3.

The home side has won each game so far and the decider will be in Cleveland on Sunday.

Philadelphia 76ers (45-37, seventh in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (56-26, second in the Eastern Conference)

Boston; Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Celtics -7.5; over/under is 205.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Series tied 3-3

BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers square off in game seven of the Eastern Conference first round. The 76ers defeated the Celtics 106-93 in the last matchup on Friday. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 30 points, and Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 18.

The Celtics have gone 36-16 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston leads the league giving up only 107.2 points per game while holding opponents to 44.2% shooting.

The 76ers are 27-25 against Eastern Conference opponents. Philadelphia is sixth in the Eastern Conference with 16.9 fast break points per game led by VJ Edgecombe averaging 8.0.

The Celtics are shooting 46.7% from the field this season, the same percentage the 76ers allow to opponents. The 76ers are shooting 46.2% from the field, 2.0% higher than the 44.2% the Celtics' opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Brown is averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Celtics. Jayson Tatum is averaging 18.7 points over the last 10 games.

Quentin Grimes is scoring 13.4 points per game and averaging 3.6 rebounds for the 76ers. Maxey is averaging 25.0 points and 3.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 6-4, averaging 112.2 points, 46.1 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 6.3 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.7 points per game.

76ers: 5-5, averaging 105.2 points, 44.2 rebounds, 21.0 assists, 7.6 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 44.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.4 points.

INJURIES: Celtics: None listed.

76ers: Joel Embiid: day to day (abdomen).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

All season long, when faced with adversity, the Lakers have responded.

When LeBron James missed the first 14 games due to sciatica, LA went 10-4 in his absence. After both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves went down late in the season, the Lakers fought hard to keep the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference.

LA started the playoffs without Austin or Luka, but just kept on winning. They went up 3-0 in their series against the Rockets, only for Houston to respond with two wins, forcing a Game 6. The purple and gold ensured there would not be a Game 7.

It was the Lakers who went on a dominant second-quarter run and took over, putting the game to bed.

Things will only get harder as they will now play the defending champs, but if we’ve learned one thing about the 2025-26 Lakers, they’ll fight as hard as possible to find success.

So, they’ll be underdogs again, but that’s a position they’ve excelled in under JJ Redick’s.

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

37 minutes, 28 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 10-25 FG, 2-5 3PT, 6-8 FT, +26

The Lakers needed LeBron to be great and he delivered. James started aggressively by scoring inside, knocking down threes and handing out a slew of assists with just one turnover in the first half.

Thanks to his play, LA got out in front early and never looked back. LeBron remained on the attack throughout the game, and yes, at age 41, he was the best player on the court.

Take a bow, king!

Grade: A+

Rui Hachimura

35 minutes, 21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 2 fouls, 8-15 FG, 5-7 3PT, +20

There is a reason Redick was so reluctant to bench Hachimura during the regular season. He is as clutch as they come, has good size, and is one of the best shot-makers in the NBA.

All of this was on display in Game 6.

This was one of the best games Rui has ever had as a Laker. With the series momentum leaning in favor of Houston, Hachimura tipped the scales back in LA’s favor.

He was an unstoppable shooter, going 5-7 from 3-point range. The only thing more demoralizing than his shot-making was the million-dollar smile he had while jogging back on defense.

Rui Hachimura walks it off pic.twitter.com/w0JGeVyISX

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) May 2, 2026

Grade: A+

Deandre Ayton

28 minutes, 7 points, 16 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 5 fouls, 2-6 FG, 3-7 FT, +5

I had to triple-check the rebounding numbers for Ayton. It’s unreal that he had 16 boards in an elimination game. He did a solid job defending Şengün when he had that assignment and did the little things that impacted winning.

A hilarious moment came when NBA official Scott Foster tried to ensure Ayton didn’t get an unfair advantage in a jump ball and kept restarting the play. It didn’t matter, as Ayton still won the tip.

In this series, Ayton has been excellent, and Game 6 was no exception.

Grade: B+

Marcus Smart

35 minutes, 7 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 2-7 FG, 2-4 3PT, 1-2 FT, +25

Smart proved he could handle some on-ball duties for this team in these intense games. This wasn’t the case in Game 5 when he had way too many turnovers.

Smart acknowledged this and improved dramatically in this contest. He had a plus-minus of +25, which was the second highest on the team.

Grade: B

Austin Reaves

31 minutes, 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 7-14 FG, 0-4 3PT, 1-1 FT, +3

Reaves showed flashes of who he is in this game.

He had a nice spin move layup, was driving inside and his three blocks demonstrated his aggressiveness defensively. Reaves is clearly not 100% just yet, but he found ways to impact the game and was a good offensive initiator for the team.

Grade: B-

Luke Kennard

29 minutes, 3 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 1-6 FG, 1-2 3PT, +22

Okay, Kennard has regressed to his mean, but that’s not the worst thing. He can still be a positive on offense, but that monster Game 1 performance is likely a thing of the past.

Grade: B

Jaxson Hayes

17 minutes, 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 1-1 FG, 3-4 FT, +21

After an awful Game 5, Hayes had a bounce-back performance in Game 6. He held his own on his defensive assignments and even got to the line and hit some free throws.

The Lakers needed Hayes to eat up some big man minutes, and he not only did so but was a net positive for the team during his shifts.

Grade: B

Jake LaRavia

16 minutes, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 3-8 FG, 1-2 3PT, +2

This was the best game LaRavia has had this postseason. He held his own defensively, shot well from deep, and had some momentum-shifting plays like his dunk midway through the second quarter.

Grade: B+

Adou Theiro, Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Nick Smith Jr.

This quartet played a short shift in garbage time so they will not be getting a grade.

JJ Redick

Redick stuck with a tight eight-man rotation and it paid off. He did the right thing by taking Jarred Vanderbilt out and leaning on his offensive players to get this win.

No longer doubling Şengün, they dared him to win his matchups and he couldn’t. This was a tremendous improvement from last year, when Redick did ridiculous things like making no subs in the second half and effectively playing no bigs late in the series.

This is 2026, and Redick learned who to trust, not to panic and, instead of blowing a 3-0 lead, they won a series many, myself included, didn’t think they could win.

Grade: A

Friday’s DNPs: Maxi Kleber, Jarred Vanderbilt

Friday’s inactives: Luka Dončić

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

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back in a big way to avoid playing Game 7 of their Western Conference first-round series against the Houston Rockets.

James had 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as the Lakers beat the Rockets 98-78 on Friday, May 1. It was his league-record 157th playoff game with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists.

The Lakers played with a sense of urgency and energy that was missing from their home loss on Wednesday.

“My mindset was to play with aggression,” James said during a postgame interview on Prime. “(The Rockets) changed the aggression level in Games 4 and 5. … Most of our guys haven't been in a close-out game situation. … So I had to come out and set the tone for my team and just try to find a way to close this thing out.”

The Lakers will be asked to produce the same level of energy if they want to compete with the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the second round.

The Lakers must continue to get strong contributions from players such as Rui Hachimura, who helped neutralize the Rockets and kept them from having any chance of battling back into the game with several big shots. Hachimura finished with 21 points and six rebounds. He shot 5-of-7 from the 3-point line.

The Lakers will need all the rest they can get before the series with the Thunder begins on Tuesday, May 5, in Oklahoma City. The three days off won’t be enough time to get guard Luka Doncic back, though.

Doncic has not played since suffering a hamstring injury on April 2 in a blowout loss to the Thunder during the regular season.

Without the guard, Los Angeles will be tasked with overcoming the Thunder's defense and finding a way to generate enough offense to match the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Austin Reaves will be asked to shoulder some of that offensive responsibility. He made his return to the Lakers on Wednesday for Game 5 after missing time due to a left oblique muscle strain. He returned to the starting lineup in Game 6.

Reaves has 37 points, eight assists and seven rebounds combined in his first two games back. He will need to round back into form at the 3-point line, where he's made just 2-of-12 this week.

The Thunder will enter the series well-rested, having swept the Phoenix Suns. OKC will enter the second round having had a full week off.

The Thunder could also see the return of Jalen Williams in the series. He has not played since April 22 due to a hamstring strain.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What's next for Lakers after win over Rockets? Thunder await

There will be no Game 7.

After dropping consecutive closeout games that simultaneously put the series in jeopardy and gave the Rockets real momentum, the Lakers took care of business in Game 6, dominating the Rockets and leaving no doubt on who the better team was with a 98-78 victory.

The Lakers have now punched their ticket to the second round and a matchup with the reigning world champs, but analysis of that series will need to wait. For now, the Lakers get a few days to regroup and game plan, while us fans get to reflect on what was a great performance up and down the roster to knock out the Rockets.

Here are three takeaways from the huge victory…

---

The Closeout King

LeBron James did not have his most efficient shooting night, hitting just 10 of his 25 field goal attempts. But in scoring a team-high 28 points to go along with seven rebounds, and eight assists (to just three turnovers), he controlled the action for nearly every moment of the 37:07 he played in this game and set his team up for victory with his focus, energy, and determination.

LeBron set the tone early, ducking into the post for power backdowns while exerting his strength advantage over Tari Eason. Positioning himself on the right block, LeBron consistently put the Rockets into situations where they would either need to send help or let him cook one-on-one. And when the help did not come, LeBron made the defense pay by scoring or drawing fouls.

When he was not posting up, he was setting up the action to attack via the pick and roll where he could either get downhill for himself or try to set up a teammate for an easy look. This sort of diversity helped keep Houston’s defense off-balance and allowed the Lakers to generate decent looks against a defense that had mostly stymied them for the better part of the previous three games.

But more than his efforts to keep the Lakers offense flowing in the halfcourt, it was LeBron’s hunting of transition and open court chances that helped the team generate the points they needed to separate and then keep the Rockets at bay.

The Lakers outscored the Rockets 19-8 in fastbreak points, with much of that difference coming from LeBron’s persistence in getting into early offense when the team secured a stop and there was a sliver of a lane to push the pace.

LEBRON'S GOT 18 PTS AT THE BREAK 👏

Lakers up 18 in Game 6! pic.twitter.com/RVeUaPwbaJ

— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2026

Again, though, this wasn’t solely about his production. After the Lakers did not play with enough force and focus in Games 4 and 5, LeBron reset the team’s approach through his individual approach and everyone followed suit. He did not do it alone, but he led the way.

Rui’s sharpshooting

If Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart were the difference makers early in the series with their shot making, it was Rui’s hot hand that made the difference in Game 6 to close out Houston. Hachimura hit five of his seven attempts from deep on the night, and eight of his 15 shots overall, en route to 21 points to go along with his six rebounds and two assists.

With the Lakers getting into their offense earlier, LeBron’s post-up and pick-and-roll play tilting the game towards him, and Austin Reaves’ drives creating more opportunities for advantage creation, the Lakers ball movement improved and it was Rui who was one of the main beneficiaries.

Time after time, the ball pinged around the court and ended up in Hachimura’s hands with him calmly stepping into jumpers that he knocked down over and over again.

RUI MF HACHIMURA 🐐

(via @MindOfBron) pic.twitter.com/zJ83EQbT02

— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) May 2, 2026

On a night where the Lakers only shot 40.4% from the field overall, Rui’s accuracy and secondary scoring were a huge factor in giving the team the sort of offensive boost they needed to seize control of the game. And then, once they had the lead, every ensuing jumper dug Houston’s hole deeper, never allowing them to gain any sort of footing that could help foment a comeback.

Exactly the sort of role player performance the team needed on the road to get the win.

Deandre’s defense and rebounding

On a night where his shooting from the field (2-6) and the foul line (3-7) was not there, Deandre Ayton’s attention to detail and focus defensively and on the backboards were critical to the Lakers getting this victory. Of Ayton’s 16 rebounds, 13 came on the defensive end, allowing the Lakers to not only close out possessions but to help trigger their transition game that was so helpful all night to their offense.

Further, and more importantly, was that all night the Lakers left Ayton on an island to defend Alperen Şengün one-on-one rather than sending the sort of help and doubles that allowed Houston to get into such a good offensive rhythm in Game 5. Şengün shot just 5-12 from the field, but more importantly, had just a single assist after tallying eight in the last game.

Ayton’s ability to hold up in isolation allowed the rest of the defense to stay home and attached to shooters and cutters, gumming up the Rockets’ offense. Above all else, this was the major factor in Houston connecting on just 28 of their 80 (35%) shot attempts on the night, never allowing them to find a rhythm or climb back into the game.

And, as previously mentioned, when they did miss, it was Ayton who was the primary force in helping the Lakers to clean the glass, holding Houston to just eight offensive rebounds on their 52 misses, a fantastic number even if they cut down on crashing the glass as hard as they did earlier in the series.

The Lakers simply do not win this game — or the series — without Ayton anchoring their defense with the focus and force he displayed.

You can follow Darius on BlueSky at @forumbluegoldand find more of his Lakers coverage on the Laker Film Room Podcast.

The Cleveland Cavaliers made their bed. Now they have one game left to get out of it.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

24 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 3 turnovers

Mitchell should be the best player on the floor. That hasn’t been true for four straight games. Mitchell has finished with a negative plus/minus in each game since Game 2 — and wasn’t able to change that even with his strong end to this one.

Donovan Mitchell hasn't finished with a positive plus/minus since Game 2

Combined -35 in Games 3-6

— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) May 2, 2026

The Cavs nearly had enough to come back and win tonight. Mitchell’s in-between scoring helped bring them back, but his previous three quarters are what put them in the hole.

Grade: D+

James Harden

16 points, 9 assists, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 4 turnovers

Harden’s turnovers are hard to defend. He’s often so careless with the ball that it drives you crazy. His 5-14 shooting didn’t help either.

Still, Harden’s command of the offense has felt night and day compared to Mitchell. The Cavs at least have a chance with the way Harden is playing. He’s generating advantages, even if he isn’t consistently converting on them.

Grade: C+

Evan Mobley

26 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

The last two games have been huge for Mobley’s reputation. After consecutive stinkers in Toronto, Mobley put up back-to-back heroic fourth quarters in games 5-6.

Mobley nailed a corner three-pointer in the fourth quarter to keep Cleveland alive. Then, he buried CMB in the paint for the tying bucket. His defense helped hold the Raptors to just 12 points in the fourth quarter, and his shot-making felt like the counterstrike that the Cavs have needed with Mitchell struggling.

Grade: A

Jarrett Allen

14 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks

Allen deserves massive credit. He set the tone early by being aggressive on offense (even laying himself out on the opening possession). As the game went on, his contested rebounds were pivotal in Cleveland’s rally. Allen snagged some key boards and did all he could to get his team the weekend off.

I removed half a grade for his 2-6 free-throw shooting.

Grade: B+

Dean Wade

10 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal

Wade’s the best fit next to the core four. He’s proven that in this series. He’s done a phenomenal job defensively and is doing enough to stay on the floor offensively. I think the Cavs need to revert to Wade in the starting lineup for Game 7.

Grade: A-

Max Strus

6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists

Strus hasn’t gelled with the core four like he did in the past. I truly think that has more to do with Mitchell than him. Still, the Cavs can’t afford to keep him in this spot. Strus is undersized at the wing and hasn’t made a significant difference in how the Raptors defend the backcourt. He isn’t posing a big enough offensive threat to force an adjustment.

Grade: C–

Thomas Bryant

0 points, 2 rebounds

We’ve seen enough of Bryant in this matchup. He just doesn’t have it.

Grade: F

Jaylon Tyson

5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists

Tyson did his thing, floating in the short-roll and making plays from there. The only problem was his 1-5 shooting from downtown. That’s not going to cut it.

Grade: C+

Sam Merrill

2 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 1 steal

Merrill went 0-3 from deep and shot just 1-2 elsewhere. That caused him to play just 18 minutes as the rest of his game was tested by Toronto’s full-on attack.

Grade: D+

Dennis Schroder

7 points, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers

Schroder saved the day in Game 5. In Game 6, he partially threw it away. He shot 0-4 from the floor and flat-out made the wrong read at the end of the game.

Grade: D-

Well, if you were paying attention to the NBA Playoffs Friday night, you’ll most likely agree with us that there’s no question about what today’s Gold will be.

With the seconds running down in overtime, RJ Barrett got a pass out at the top of the key from Toronto teammate Scottie Barnes, and put up a long three.

It took a very high bounce off the rim, which was straight out of Hollywood. It seemed to go up, and up, and up…and by the time it came down, more than another full second had come off the clock, making it next to impossible for Cleveland to top that shot.

Making it even sweeter? Barrett is playing in his hometown. Okay, he’s actually from the suburb of Mississauga, but big whoop. He’s a hometown kid who people will be talking about for years after that shot.

You may remember that a few years ago, Barrett was criticized for his poor outside shooting. We linked to a video of him just grinding in the gym, trying to refine his shot.

What you saw against Cleveland was no miracle. It’s a guy who put in the time, and when he was called upon, he was ready.

Here are some other videos of what folks in Toronto will be calling The Shot.

• The decibel guy.
• Tyrese Haliburton nods
• The Titanic version
• Did it hit the camera?

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LeBron James knew what was at stake in this first-round playoff series and that it was on his shoulders to meet the moment and have his teammates follow his lead.

James simply elevated his play like he has so many times over his illustrious 23-year NBA career, playing with a purpose and willing the Lakers to a 98-78 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night at Toyota Center.

His 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds is why the Lakers won the best-of-seven series, 4-2, over the Rockets and why L.A. will meet the defending NBA champion Thunder on Tuesday night in Oklahoma City in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.

James and the Lakers had been on the verge of collapsing in these playoffs, their commanding 3-0 lead cut to 3-2.

But the Lakers and James let the Rockets know they were going to stay the course in Game 6 by building a 25-point lead in the third quarter.

Rui Hachimura let James and the Lakers know he had come to play, scoring 21 points on eight-for-15 shooting and a sizzling five for seven on three-pointers. Hachimura also had six rebounds.

Austin Reaves started in Game 6 and Luke Kennard, who had started the first five playoff games and the last five regular-season games, came off the bench. Reaves did his part for the Lakers with 15 points.

Deandre Ayton had just seven points, but his 16 rebounds and defensive presence was just as powerful.

Marcus Smart was the defensive catalyst for the Lakers. He had two blocks, one in which he just raised up to swat a shot by Tari Eason in the third quarter while then falling down backward in the process. Smart scored seven points, but it was his defense that helped the Lakers limit the Rockets to 34.2% shooting and 17.9% from three-point range.

After grabbing his last rebound with 3 minutes and 17 seconds left with the Lakers leading by 26 points, James raised his hand to come out of the game. He left with 3:07 remaining having played 37 minutes.

The Lakers built a 19-point lead in the second quarter, doing it behind James’ thrust and a strong defense that stifled the Rockets early in the period.

James had 18 points in the first half, shooting seven for 14 from the field and two for four from three-point range to help the Lakers keep a 49-31 lead at the half.

He also had four assists and three rebounds.

On the defense, the Lakers worked hard and put the Rockets on their heels in the first 24 minutes.

The Lakers held the Rockets to 28.6% shooting and 16.7% from three-point range. The Rockets turned the ball over 10 times in the first.

James then opened the third quarter with a turnaround move in the post to give the Lakers a 20-point lead.

Returning to Houston for another game was not the end of the basketball world for the Lakers.

Even if all the momentum had shifted away from the Lakers and to the Rockets, L.A. still had the lead in the series.

Even if the Lakers had failed to close out the Rockets twice and had seen their three-game lead drop to one game, L.A. had no choice but to be ready for the next moment.

In the eyes of Lakers coach JJ Redick and his group, being back here is “exactly where we’re supposed to be.”

“So, you certainly don't want to drop two games in a row,” Redick said. “You certainly don't want to feel like you've given the other team confidence and momentum. But prior to the series, and if you said we were up 3-2, coming here for a close-out game and AR would be back, we'd be ecstatic.

"So, I said this after Game 2, that this thing was just getting started. I don't think any of us expected a full sweep. We know they're a great basketball team and they were going to continue to play, continue to fight. We've got to match that tonight.”

The Lakers did.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

HOUSTON — JJ Redick said the Lakers would need to “kill” the Rockets to close out their first round playoff series. 

And on Friday night at Toyota Center, the Lakers accomplished their goal, suffocating the Rockets’ offense to a permanent end of their season en route to a 98-78 victory in Game 6 of the best-of-seven series, advancing to a second round matchup against the Thunder.

The Lakers didn’t have it going offensively, either.

The Rockets’ scoring total was not only the fewest amount of points they’ve scored in a game since 2018 (regular season and playoffs), but it was the fewest amount of points the Lakers allowed in a playoff game since May 16, 2012.

The Lakers didn’t have it going offensively either, shooting just 40.4% from the field. But they won the margins in two significant ways: Offensive rebounding (15-8) and turnovers (14-11), both of which were advantages for the Rockets throughout the first five games of the series.

LeBron James led the Lakers with 28 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds in 37 minutes, finishing with a team-best individual plus/minus of plus-26.

Rui Hachimura added an efficient 21 points (8-of-15 shooting) and 6 rebiunds, while Austin Reaves recorded 15 points, 3 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in his second game back from his oblique injury.

Deandre Ayton controlled the boards with 16 rebounds to go with 7 points. 

Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 17 points and 11 rebounds, but only had 1 assist. 

What it means

The Lakers won a playoff series for the first time in three years, when they beat the Warriors in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals in six games. 

They lost to the Nuggets and the Timberwolves in five games in the first round in the previous two seasons.

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Turning point

When the Lakers went on a 27-3 run from midway through the first quarter to midway through the second to flip a five-point deficit into a 19-point lead after a layup from James with just over eight minutes left in the second.

The Rockets went from the 5:13 mark in the first quarter, when they led 16-11, until the 6:55 mark of the second without scoring a field goal – a dominant defensive stretch by the Lakers during a game in which they didn’t let up at all defensively. 

The Lakers led by at least double digits for the remainder of the game.

MVP: LeBron James

James set the tone for the Lakers, who were desperate to avoid blowing their aries lead after winning the first three games. 

The four-time league MVP had 4 points and 3 assists in the first quarter before scoring 14 more points in the second – single handlely outscoring the Rockets in the quarter. 

The Rockets had just 13 points in the second after being held to 18 in the first.   

Stat of the game: 35%

That was the Rockets’ field goal percentage in Game 6.

It was the worst field goal percentage an opponent has had against the Lakers in a playoff game since April 28, 2023.

Up next

The Lakers will play the defending NBA champions, the Thunder, in the second round.

Game 1 of Lakers-Thunder will take place on Tuesday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

Well, that game took a turn, didn’t it? Full disclosure, this recap is coming so late because I had given up. It had been a tough work day, followed by an unwelcome call to a plumber, followed by an abysmal second quarter for the Detroit Pistons. Facing elimination and needing to deliver their A game, the Pistons delivered a D-, scoring just 12 points in the second quarter and facing a 22-point deficit. I was done. I needed to do something else with my time.

This is the moment I turned the game off, thinking it was the last time I’d see the 2025-26 Pistons.

Little did I know what the Pistons had in store in the second half.

The Pistons jumped out of the gate early, cutting a 24-point deficit to a 10-point margin by the 6:58 mark. A pair of Orlando threes from Tristan da Silva and Anthony Black and a Paolo Banchero free throw boosted the lead back up to 17, and it seemed like maybe time was out on the Pistons’ season.

That Banchero free throw at the 3:55 mark represented Orlando’s final points of the third quarter. Banchero’s missed jump shot on the ensuing possession started a string of 23 consecutive misses by the Orlando Magic. By the time they made their next field goal, an uncontested Banchero dunk down the middle of the lane, the Pistons were somehow up by 12, there was less than three minutes remaining, and it was clear we were headed back to Detroit for a deciding Game 7.

Cade Cunningham led the way for Detroit, scoring 24 points in the second half, including 19 in the fourth quarter. Those 19 points matched Orlando’s output as a team in the third and fourth quarters combined. Cunningham had his stepback game working; he was bullying his way into the rim for easy looks off the glass and hit a pair of threes.

Duncan Robinson was also able to get some clean looks courtesy of Detroit’s ability to turn defense into free-flowing offense. He hit four of his nine three-point attempts. Tobias Harris was another hero for Detroit, especially when things were at their most precarious.

It was unclear if the veteran forward was going to be able to suit up for this one, as he was questionable with an ankle sprain. Harris powered through, though, and he had everything in his bag working. He scored 22 points and added 10 rebounds.

There is not much more that can be said about the Magic. They missed some open looks, but they were also forced into plenty of errors and terrible shot attempts because of Detroit’s stifling and swarming defense. There were only a handful of clean looks in that epic 23-shot brickfest spanning the third and fourth quarters.

Thank you, Ausar Thompson.

The Pistons now get to host a Game 7 on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. The crowd better be insane.

After taking care of the Rockets in six games, the Lakers will move to the second round for a matchup against the league’s best team in the Thunder.

The series will start on Tuesday, May 5.

The defending champions ran riot through everyone not named San Antonio this season, then made quick work of Phoenix in the first round. As a result, it will be a well-rested OKC team that is waiting for the Lakers, who are anything but rested.

None of the four meetings between OKC and LA went the way of the purple and gold and the majority of them were blowouts.

In the first meeting, the LeBron James-less Lakers were routed in Oklahoma City early in the season. The second meeting did not come until early February and it was the closest result of the season, but still saw the Thunder, without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, beat the Lakers, without Luka Dončić, with a late fourth-quarter burst.

The third meeting was the inflection point in the season for the Lakers as not only did OKC soundly beat a full-strength purple and gold side, but injuries to Luka and Austin Reaves drastically changed the final week of the season and the team’s playoff hopes. The final showdown five days later was a game that should have been an e-mail as the Lakers sat what was left of their team in a blowout loss.

As you can see, the Thunder have beaten every iteration of the Lakers, whether at full strength or not. That probably shouldn’t breed much confidence heading into the series, nor will the fact that Luka is not expected back any time soon either.

Outside of that, though, this should be a really fun series. At least they got to the second round, unlike a certain other team in the Rocky Mountains.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

After a couple of losses, the Lakers finally finished off the Rockets, beating them 98-78 in Game 6 to advance to the second round. 

Los Angeles went on an impressive 13-1 run to start the second quarter, giving them control of the game and they never looked back. 

Now the Lakers will face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round. That series will begin on Tuesday, May 5, in OKC.

The Lakers started this game by scoring a pair of baskets in the paint. Tari Eason started off hot for the Rockets, converting on his first two shots, and after a three by Jabari Smith Jr., Houston was in front 10-6. 

Points in the paint continued to be the focus for the purple and gold and after a dunk from Rui Hachimura, they had their first lead of the game. 

Unfortunately for LA, Houston had a much more balanced attack. Alperen Şengün scored inside and after an Eason dunk, the Rockets were back in control. 

With Austin Reaves starting, Luke Kennard was relegated to the bench and got his first minutes midway through the first quarter. He hit a corner three to give LA back the lead and end his two-game drought of not making a beyond-the-arc basket.

Jake LaRavia added a three of his own, making it a 9-0 run for Los Angeles.

Smith Jr. ended the scoring drought for the Rockets by knocking a pair of free throws, but LA was still ahead by five. 

In the closing minutes of the quarter, the Lakers bricked all their shot attempts, but so did the Rockets, leaving LA ahead 23-18 after 12 minutes.

END OF 1: Lakers lead 23-18. Rui Hachimura leading with seven points, three rebounds. Austin Reaves five points. One three each from Luke Kennard and Jake LaRavia. Lakers have three offensive rebounds while the Rockets have none (!)

— Thuc Nhi Nguyen (@thucnhi21) May 2, 2026

In the second quarter, the Lakers got their offense going with a LeBron basket. Jake LaRavi added a three and, after another basket by James, LA was on a 7-0 run and Luka Dončić was jokingly signaling for Houston to call a timeout.

Luka likes the way Lebron is playing 👏 pic.twitter.com/SO6vmhGurS

— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) May 2, 2026

The Rockets didn’t, but after another basket from James, they took Luka’s advice and asked for a stop in play.

Houston finally scored off a free throw, but LaRavia immediately responded with a fastbreak dunk. This second-quarter shift from LaRavia was his best play of this series.

The Rockets literally couldn’t score, missing 15 consecutive shots. Reed Sheppard finally scored on a layup, but by then the Lakers were up 38-21. 

Sheppard scored again on a three and then Smith Jr. had a putback dunk to give the Rockets some offensive life. 

The Lakers maintained their advantage with some timely baskets, including a gorgeous spin move by Reaves inside.

Slowly, but surely, the Rockets began chipping away at the deficit with some free throws and defensive stops. After an Amen Thompson layup, Houston was down by just single digits. 

The Lakers continued to apply pressure on the rim and while it didn’t lead to makes, it did force the Rockets to foul and send them to the line. 

In the final moments of the second quarter, LeBron dished the ball to Hachimura for a three and then scored himself to send the Lakers to the locker room in front 49-31.

Halftime: Lakers 49, Rockets 31

After trailing 16-11 midway through 1Q, LA has outscored HOU 38-15. Their defense has been suffocating. Offensively, they’re taking care of the ball and dominating the offensive glass. LeBron has 18/3/5 — he’s been amazing. Rui has 10 points.

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) May 2, 2026

LA came out firing on all cylinders to start the second half. LeBron scored on the first possession, Hachimura knocked down a three and, after a basket by Reaves, LA was up by 20 points. 

The Lakers shifted into cruise control in the third, but Hachimura remained hot while the Rockets struggled to score or go on any kind of significant run. Reaves continued to look more and more comfortable in his second game back, beating Şengün to the rim for a smooth layup. 

Add in an impressive block by Smart on Eason’s dunk attempt and it was becoming increasingly clear this wasn’t going to be Houston’s night.

The Rockets finished the quarter with a 7-0 run to give themselves a puncher’s chance entering the fourth. Still, LA was in full control, leading 71-55 with 12 minutes left to play. 

The final period was more of the same for the Lakers. Hachimura hit a three to start the fourth and LeBron scored inside. After a Deandre Ayton putback, the lead was once again up to 20 points. 

The Rockets continued to struggle, unable to knock down any shots. Houston didn’t make their second field goal until there was 6:57 left in the game. 

Meanwhile, Hachimura kept on scoring on mid-range shots and was clearly in the flow state, slicing through the Houston defense.

Yeaaaaaaah Rui 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sP7rr22uRu

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 2, 2026

Midway through the fourth, Sheppard hit a three. He was the only Rocket that had anything going. However, Smart responded with a three of his own, making it 91-67 Lakers. 

Then Jaxson Hayes had a slam dunk and Lakers head coach JJ Redick cleared out the benches as the game was over.

Key Player Stats

LeBron was magnificent in this game. His play is the main reason this contest was an easy win for Los Angeles. He ended the night with 28 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. 

Hachimura was a laser throughout the night, scoring 21 points and going 8-14 from the field with six rebounds. Austin Reaves struggled with his shot from distance, but got to the rim repeatedly to finish with 15 points on 7-14 shooting.

Ayton had just seven points, but grabbed 16 rebounds. Marcus Smart had a masterful game, finishing with seven points, seven rebounds, two steals, two blocks and an assist.

LaRavia had seven points, Hayes had five points and four rebounds and Kennard had three points, three rebounds and three assists.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

RJ Barrett did the Tyrese Haliburton.

And Haliburton noticed.

During Game 6 between the Raptors and Cavaliers on Friday night, the score was 110-109 as No. 5 seed Toronto, with its season on the line, scrambled on its potentially final possession at home against No. 4 seed Cleveland.

Scottie Barnes attempted to drive on Dean Wade, saw help from Evan Mobley and kicked it out to the Toronto-born Barrett near the top of the key. Barrett fired up a shot that hit back iron before elevating high in the air, dropping into the net with 1.2 seconds remaining, awarding Toronto a 112-110 lead, which held as the final score.

The shot was reminiscent of Haliburton’s Game 1, game-tying heartbreaker in New York against the Knicks in last year’s Eastern Conference finals.

“That looked familiar,” Haliburton wrote on X on Friday night.

RJ BARRETT WHEN TORONTO NEEDED HIM MOST

The hometown hero drains the game-winning bucket in overtime to force Game 7 pic.twitter.com/D2AJbSiA5M

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 2, 2026

In the game, Haliburton made what was initially thought to be a three-point shot, which would’ve given Indiana the victory, but instead tied the game at 125 each heading into overtime.

Despite getting a break with Haliburton’s foot being on the line, the Pacers won 138-135 in overtime, taking a 1-0 lead in the series, which jump-started their eventual 4-2 victory and trip to the NBA Finals, where they pushed the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder to Game 7, where Haliburton ruptured his Achilles.

With a chance to win the series, Cleveland had time for one final possession, but Evan Mobley was short on a 3-point shot, giving the Raptors the win to tie the series 3-3 to force a Game 7 on Sunday.

The winner of Sunday’s Game 7 will see the winner of another Game 7 on the same day, between the Pistons and Magic, in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

THE SHOT HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD

Tyrese Haliburton's game-tying buzzer beater in G1 of the ECF was one for the ages!

Listen to broadcasters from around the world reacting to one of this season's most clutch buckets pic.twitter.com/0lV3mXwli5

— NBA (@NBA) June 2, 2025

The Magic, with a 3-2 lead, led the Pistons 60-38 at halftime before suffering a historic collapse, where they missed 23 straight shots, 27 of their last 28 attempts, and scored just 19 second-half points en route to a 93-79 Detroit victory.

In the 112-110 win, Barrett — Toronto’s leading scorer in the series — finished with 24 points and four made threes with nine rebounds. Scottie Barnes (25 points) and Ja’Kobe Walter (24 points) — who started in place of the injured Brandon Ingram — also emerged for the scrappy fifth seed.