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You can’t fake desperation. The Rockets fought hard in Game 3, but lost and were down 3-0 entering Game 4. With their season on the line, Houston decided they’d rather head back to LA instead of clearing out their lockers as they demolished the Lakers, 115-96.

The Rockets got offensive contributions from their top players with Alperen Şengün finishing with 19 points and Amen Thompson with 23. What made this performance even more gutsy for Houston was that they won despite Kevin Durant not playing, as he remains out with a sprained ankle.

They showed some fight, earned a win with the kind of ease many expected from them before this series began.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the blowout loss…

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Smoke and mirrors aren’t enough

So far, the Lakers have gotten unusual performances, and it’s led to wins. Luke Kennard scored 27 points in Game 1 and Marcus Smart had 25 in Game 2. In Game 3, the Rockets collapsed, and the Lakers won in overtime.

All of this was unexpected, admirable and inspiring. It’s also unsustainable.

I said after Game 3 that the second-half struggles felt like the Lakers' offense hitting the limit of their functionality w/o Luka & Austin. Ditto tonight. It's obviously not an argument for rushing either back, but rather indicative of a margin for error that keeps shrinking. AK

— Kamenetzky Brothers (@KamBrothers) April 27, 2026

On Sunday, a hard dose of reality hit the Lakers. Los Angeles couldn’t get any threes off and when they took them, they bricked. They ended the night going 5-22 from deep.

LeBron James showed his age. He looked exhausted and sleptwalked through the game, ending the night with just 10 points on 2-9 shooting.

With few other options, the Lakers’ offense had no one else who could step up and produce, and the game essentially ended early in the second half.

This was an elimination game for Houston, and LA has shown it responds well to adversity and adjusts.

However, this offensive display was concerning, and even before this, they hadn’t exactly been elite in that department. Through three games, LA has an offensive rating of 110.3, which is middle of the pack in the playoffs. It hasn’t cost them a result until now. Hopefully, it’s not a precursor of what’s to come.

Lakers will get good center play in the postseason

One player who did have a good game until his night ended prematurely was Deandre Ayton. He was doing a great job in the pick-and-roll and had 10 rebounds and went 9-12 from the field, scoring 19 points.

BRONNY JAMES WITH THE PERFECTLY PLACED ALLEY-OOP TO DEANDRE AYTON FROM THE BASELINE! 💪

Perfect setup! pic.twitter.com/tsaybbbeGH

— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) April 27, 2026

Throughout this series, there have been times when Lakers head coach JJ Redick has gone with Jaxson Hayes and pulled Ayton when he isn’t playing well. He did this in Game 2 when Hayes caught a nice groove in the fourth quarter and did it again late in the fourth in Game 3.

Redick also closed with Ayton in Game 1 and Game 3 in overtime, so it’s not like he isn’t using his starting big during big moments.

Ayton seemed frustrated with his role earlier this season, but he’s responded well afterward. In this series, he’s bounced back well from mediocre performances, and he did that again here in Game 4.

If the Lakers are going to win this series and make any kind of extended run, they’ll need Ayton. He is more skilled than Hayes and LA needs his size on the floor. Game 4 provided a template he can build on.

Unfortunately, his night ended early after his elbow to Şengün was deemed a flagrant 2, resulting in his ejection from the game. The good news is that he played well and Lakers fans know that even if Ayton has an off game, Redick can go to Hayes and can also trust that Ayton can handle it well and stay ready when his next opportunity comes.

So, no matter how things are going, Redick will have a viable option at the five spot in every game.

This wasn’t the case last year, and it was one of the many reasons they played only five playoff games. This year, they might once again play five games in the first round, but only because they can win this series on Wednesday.

Sharpen the saw before you chop wood

Phil Jackson liked a Zen saying that goes, “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” This means that one must stay focused on the task at hand rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.

Well, I want to add to that and say that before you chop the wood, one must sharpen the sword. After three quarters of play, the Lakers trailed the Rockets 90-65. It was clear the game was over. Well, for everyone minus Redick.

As an ardent JJ defender, there's genuinely no reason for LeBron to be on the floor to start the fourth, let alone any of the other starters

— Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) April 27, 2026

Despite the clear blowout and loss in hand, he decided to still play his starters for one more shift in the fourth. I understand the desire to fight and the struggle to concede a game when 25% of the contest remains to be played.

However, this is a long battle and it’s not just about one game. LA was up 3-0 and clearly didn’t have it going to make it a sweep.

It would’ve been better and wiser to rest the guys and fight another day. Entering Game 4, LeBron, Kennard, and Rui Hachimura all averaged 41-plus minutes per game. This trio is in the top five for most minutes played in the playoffs.

If rest is available for them, Redick should’ve given it to them. Luckily, this loss didn’t also feature injury. If it did, Redick would’ve gotten torn to shreds, and it would’ve been justified.

Hopefully, the Lakers aren’t in another waive the white flag scenario this postseason, but if they are, it’d be nice if Redick gives the guys who’ve earned it a moment to get a breather.

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

Victor Wembanyama was “very unhappy” with how the NBA handled his concussion protocol during the Spurs series against the Trail Blazers, which forced him to miss Game 3, and saying that the way the situation “was handled was very disappointing.”

The Spurs took a 3-1 series lead with a 114-93 win over the Blazers on Sunday night, but was clearly frustrated with the league’s concussion protocol during a postgame interview with Malika Andrews. 

“I had lots of emotions in me before the game — obviously, excitement, frustration — so I let a lot out tonight,” he told her before Andrews asked about clearing the concussion protocols. 

“The Spurs have done an amazing job,” Wembanyama said. “I’m very unhappy about the way the protocol has been handled by other parties. But my staff has been amazing. I’ve been really healthy, starting on Day 1 after the injury. The injury, it was weird, though. It was funny.” 

The Spurs’ star fell hard to the floor during Game 2 against Portland and went into concussion protocol before San Antonio confirmed that Wembanyama had suffered a concussion after the game. 

Wembanyama was given another chance to address the topic after the Game 4 win. Though he didn’t give much more detail on what upset him about the process, he reiterated his frustration. 

Victor Wembanyama on the NBA's concussion protocol… "But the way the situation was handled was very disappointing." #nba#porvida#sanantoniopic.twitter.com/aFgvdP5Xwf

— JeffGSpursZone (@JeffGSpursZone) April 27, 2026

“I won’t get into the details. I don’t want to become a distraction,” he said. “Ask me again after the end of the season. But again, all the doctors, especially on the Spurs, we have the doctors all around, they were great, took great care of me. But the way the situation was handled was very disappointing. Not on the Spurs, again. But as I said, I won’t get into the details. 

“I’m not saying that not playing was a good or bad decision. It was a decision. I’m not saying it was good or bad, but the way the situation was handled, very disappointing.”

Wembanyama finished the game with 27 points and shot 9-of-17 from the field, while pulling down 11 rebounds, three assists and seven blocks. 

The Spurs’ big man also had three steals by the end of the game.

The Lakers still have control of this first-round series, even after the blow they took from the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

As ugly as their 115-96 loss was, the Lakers still hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.

All the Lakers have to do is win Game 5 on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena and they will advance to the second round.

But they will have to play better than they did in Game 4.

Read more:Even the Rockets thought Deandre Ayton's controversial ejection was 'soft'

LeBron James, who played a stellar 45 minutes during the Lakers’ overtime win Friday night, wasn’t as spry. He had just 10 points, reaching double figures on a floater with 8:37 left and the Lakers down 26.

He was just two for nine from the field and he had eight turnovers. James also had nine assists and became the first player in NBA history to record 3,000 field goals in the playoffs.

Luke Kennard was quiet with seven points, and Marcus Smart had nine, both on three-for-eight shooting. Rui Hachimura had 13 points on six-for-10 shooting.

As James iced his knees in the locker room after the game, he said the Lakers can't afford to underestimate the Rockets.

“Hell naw, there is no such thing as being comfortable until a series is done,” James said. “Naw, none of us are.”

The bigger concern was the Lakers' inability to take care of the ball. They turned it over 24 times, their most in the series, and they've had 20 or more in three of the four games.

All of Houston's starters scored in double figures. Amen Thompson had 23 points and seven assists, and Alperen Sengun finished with 19 points and six rebounds.

But it was the Lakers' miscues that stood out the most.

“Obviously we know coming into the series we have to protect the ball and not have too many pick-sixes, which we did all night,” James said. “It started with me. Obviously my turnovers are unacceptable. But we’ll do a better job with that on Wednesday. We understand that offensive rebounds for them and pick-sixes is not going to be good for our ballclub. You give credit where credit is due. They won the game tonight.”

When the Lakers went down by 17 points in the third quarter on a Thompson basket that was part of Houston’s 12-4 run to open the frame, Lakers coach JJ Redick called a timeout to allow his players to collect themselves.

It didn't help, as the Lakers' deficit swelled to 26 points.

It got harderfor the Lakers when Deandre Ayton was ejected midway through the quarter because of a flagrant foul for his left elbow striking Sengun on the side of the head.

Ayton was having one of his best games in the playoffs, bouncing back from two quiet efforts to post 19 points and 10 rebounds before he was ejected with 5:41 left in the third quarter.

“I was really just trying to brace for the contact with Sengun and we both are sweaty guys,” Ayton said. “I just slipped off his shoulder. My elbow hit him right there above the shoulder. It looked crazy on camera, but I’m not no guy who is a dirty player or who plays like that.”

Austin Reaves shot before the game in an attempt to play for the first time since being injured April 2 at Oklahoma City, and again he was downgraded from questionable to out because of a left oblique muscle strain.

In the end, the Lakers saw no need to rush Reaves back considering how they had dominated the series. Two days off before Game 5 will give Reaves more time to get healthy.

Read more:'It keeps getting better and better.' Bronny James settling into Lakers playoff role

“It's fair to consider everything,” Redick said. “Austin and I had a conversation yesterday for a long time, and I think ultimately the athlete has to feel confidence, and that's always the final hurdle coming back from an injury, is the psychological component of it.”

For the Rockets, Kevin Durant missed his third game of the series because of a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle.

Lakers point guard Luka Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) continues to work out on the court, but there's no timetable for his return.

"[He] was able to move a little bit today on the court, which, you know, most of the stuff had been stand-still," Redick said. "So he's progressing, but no update on any timeline or anything like that.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

HOUSTON — One team played like its season was on the line.

The other team was the Lakers, who were on the losing end of Sunday’s Game 4 at Toyota Center for their first loss of their first round playoff series against the Rockets. 

After falling behind in the series by three games, the Kevin Durant-less Rockets were the more urgent and aggressive team in their 115-96 blowout victory over the Lakers, who consistently struggled to generate offense the entire game. 

The Lakers shot 50% from the field (37 of 74), but only made 5 of their 22 3-point attempts, with three of their 3s coming after coach JJ Redick subbed out the rotation players with 7:25 left in the game.

It was their fewest made 3s in a playoff game since making four 3s on April 26, 2013 (Game 3 of 2013 first round series against Spurs).

“[The Rocket had] a top-10 defense the entire season,” Redick said postgame. “It’s obviously very challenging without your two leading scores to generate offense. We’ll take a look at the process again on that end as well. And I know our points per shot and our expected points per shot were slightly below our season average. So to me, again, it goes back to the two keys: Take care of the ball. And we’ll look at that and how we can be better there.”

Deandre Ayton (19 points and 10 rebounds) and Rui Hachimura (13 points) were the only Lakers who found any sort of offensive rhythm in Game 4 – and Ayton was ejected in the third quarter after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul after elbowing Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun in the head. 

Ayton and Hachimura combined to shoot 15 of 22 from the field. 

LeBron James finished with 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting to go with 9 assists and 4 rebounds, but was one of many Lakers who struggled with taking care of the ball, having a team-worst 8 turnovers/

Marcus Smart (9 points, 5 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocked shots), had 4 of the Lakers’ turnovers. 

What it means

The series will head back to Los Angeles for Game 5 with the Lakers leading 3-1.

Turning point

When the Lakers committed three turnovers on four possessions early in the first quarter. 

They were still leading at the time, but it set a poor tone for the remainder of the game, with the Rockets ramping up their defensive pressure from there.

“Just a little bit of lackadaisical from us,” Smart said. “We’ve been playing our asses off these past three, four games, right? They came out, they did their job.”

MVP: Amen Thompson

Thompson has been the Rockets’ best player in the series and was their most important on Sunday.

He finished with team-highs of 23 points and 7 assists, with all five Rockets starters scoring in double figures.

Tari Eason added 20 points, 8 rebounds and 5 steals. Sengun has 19 points and 6 rebounds. 

Stat of the game: 24

That’s how many turnovers the Lakers committed on Sunday, their most in a playoff game since having 24 turnovers on Sept. 20, 2020, which was their win over the Nuggets in Game 2 of the 2020 Western Conference Finals.

The Rockets scored 30 points off the Lakers’ giveaways. 

“We knew coming into the series, we have to protect the ball versus them and not have not have too many pick-sixes, which we did all night,” James said. “It started with me, obviously. My turnovers were unacceptable

Up next

Game 5 of the Lakers’ playoff series against the Rockets is scheduled for Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena with a 7 p.m. tipoff.

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On the heels of a grueling Game 3 win, the Lakers came out flat and were subsequently routed by the Rockets, 115-96.

From the jump, it was pretty clear the Lakers didn’t have the right level of effort and played as such throughout. LA turned the ball over a staggering 23 times with the Rockets tallying 17 steals and 30 points off turnovers.

On the possession where they didn’t turn it over, they weren’t connecting on outside shots, going only 5-22, including some garbage time makes. Across the board, it was a lackluster showing for the Lakers, who looked like a team eager to get back to LA and finish the series in Game 5.

Rui Hachimura and Reed Sheppard exchanged midrange jumpers to open the game. LA built a lead of five early, with Luke Kennard leading the team with three points. Three other starters had two points each. Houston had four players with two points. 

At the 6:28 mark, Los Angeles was up by three.

LeBron James was now leading LA with six points with Kennard close behind with five. There were a lot of foul calls between the teams, with Los Angeles making seven of their nine free-throw attempts and Houston making three of four. 

The purple and gold were up by three at the 3:53 mark.

After a quick four-point surge, the Rockets jumped ahead by one. A layup by Jake LaRavia put the Lakers back in the lead. Jaxson Hayes had rough minutes, picking up two fouls. 

Houston retook the lead by five at the end of the first. 

The Rockets lead the Lakers 26-21 after one quarter of play. LA's offense is nonexistent. They went 7-18 from the field and haven't made a three.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) April 27, 2026

Jabari Smith Jr. further extended the Rockets’ lead by draining a triple to start the second period. The Lakers already had eight turnovers with Houston playing defense. The Rockets continued their desperate, strong play, extending their lead to 10. 

LA was struggling from behind the arc, shooting 17%.

A sudden 10-3 scoring run found Los Angeles down by three, after Houston had built a lead as big as 10. Jake LaRavia, who had been having a tough series, had a much-needed six points off the bench. 

Deandre Ayton had a strong quarter, scoring 12 points, trying to keep the Lakers close enough. At halftime, the Rockets had a nine-point lead. 

The Rockets lead 57-46 at the half. Deandre Ayton is the only Laker who has it going. He went 7-9 from the field and has 15 points.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) April 27, 2026

Amen Thompson started the third period with a layup for Houston. Sheppard then knocked down a triple to make it a quick 14-point lead.

LA missed all three of its shot attempts. Marcus Smart then stole the ball, and it led to a layup by Kennard. Sheppard then drained yet another triple in response. 

The Rockets continued to play with serious desperation, overwhelming Los Angeles, who now found themselves down by 17. Ayton was the only saving grace for the Lakers as he was now up to 19 points after scoring another four points. 

In a ridiculous turn of events, Ayton was ejected with 5:41 left after making contact with the back of Alperen Şengün’s head, which was deemed a Flagrant 2 foul.

Everything spiraled from there as the Lakers continued to turn the ball over and the Rockets kept making them pay, building their lead to 25 points at the end of the third.

*sim to end*

— Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) April 27, 2026

LA did start the final frame a little better offensively with Jarred Vanderbilt notching four points, but the deficit was too large. 

With 7:25 left, the Lakers waved the white flag. With 1:11 left, the ejections continued with Adou Thiero and Aaron Holiday getting tossed because it was important for everyone to remember the refs were the important part of this game. 

Key Player Stats

LeBron finished with 10 points, four rebounds and nine assists but shot just 2-9 from the field and had eight turnovers. Ayton was the Lakers’ best player prior to his ejection, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Hachimura pitched in with 13 points and three rebounds. Kennard ended with seven points and three rebounds. LaRavia scored six points off the bench.

Marcus Smart logged nine points with two rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks. Vanderbilt put up eight points largely in garbage time. 

Game 4 will be on Sunday against the Houston Rockets at 6:30 PM PT. 

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

After an underwhelming presence in Game 3, Knicks fans turned State Farm Arena into Madison Square Garden South in Game 4.

They were not as raucous or as strong in numbers during the Knicks loss in Game 3. In Game 4, however, it was a different story.

They certainly were loud.

“It’s one of the coolest things that I will always remember when I’m done playing, is how crazy these Knicks fans travel,” Jalen Brunson said. “Whether they live here now or whatever, they know how to attack an away stadium. And it’s a really cool sight to see.”

There were noticeable crowd pops when the Knicks scored and went on runs. You could hear them chanting “de-fense” when the Knicks were on that end of the court. They even booed CJ McCollum, who was playing in what was supposed to be his home arena.

Hawks fans tried to drown them out. But given the one-sided nature of Game 4, that proved difficult.

“Knicks fans travel all around the world,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “It’s even more special — I already knew how special the Knicks fans were from last year, but to be going to Abu Dhabi in preseason and see the stadium packed with Knicks fans is crazy. So, they travel around the world. They bring us so much love and energy and just passion that you can just feel that kind of passion in the building and it helps us feel like every game we play, no matter if it’s away or in Abu Dhabi, around the world, it’s a home game.”

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After their Game 4 win, the Knicks had wings from Magic City Strip Club, a staple in Atlanta, in the locker room.

Later, Magic City posted on Instagram: “We don’t wanna take credit for the win…. But …”

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Ex-Knick Carmelo Anthony, a studio analyst for NBC, has been critical of Towns this year.

But after his Game 4 triple-double, Anthony gave Towns his flowers.

“We talk about KAT, about what we always want to see from KAT,” Anthony said on the network. “From him today to lead the team by his passing, by his aggressiveness and then took advantage of the defense when he could. He just played a complete game.”

Deandre Ayton has left the building. 

Midway through the third quarter of Game 4 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets inside the Toyota Center, Ayton hit Alperen Sengun flush across the face with a left elbow.

A foul was called and the officials went to check the replay. At first glance, it felt like a sure-fire flagrant one foul. It was hard, and a little reckless. But after a few minutes, the officials determined it did reach the criteria of a flagrant two foul and Ayton was immediately ejected from the game. 

https://t.co/8NoglBpAOYpic.twitter.com/5Iu1wBTelI

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) April 27, 2026

The officials determined that the elbow contact rose to the level of intent, not just careless, but punitive. Ayton and several Lakers players were shocked by the decision, even pleading to the officials that it was not intentional. 

Ayton was escorted off the court and headed back to the Lakers locker room. Rockets’ forward Kevin Durant, who has missed the last two games for Houston, waived goodbye as he left.

KD waving bye to Ayton pic.twitter.com/G5QbweQvij

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 27, 2026

The Lakers were already unraveling in Game 3, trailing by as many as 26 points. Ironically, Ayton was the lone bright spot for the Lakers offense. He had 19 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes before he was ejected. 

Now, instead of building off the momentum of their Game 3 surge, the Lakers look ready to head back home to Los Angeles for a Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night.

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2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 23.5
VJ Edgecombe – 16
Joel Embiid – 11.5
Paul George – 8
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 5
Justin Edwards – 4
Andre Drummond – 3
Quentin Grimes – 3
Jared McCain :’( – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 2
Adem Bona – 1
Porter Martone – 1
Cam Payne – 1
Jabari Walker – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

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The Celtics put the Sixers on the brink of elimination with a 128-96 victory on Sunday, claiming a 3-1 series lead as the teams head back to Boston for Game 5.

The Celtics three-point barrage was firing on all cylinders and their defensive gameplan all but suffocated the Sixers in the first half. By the time the Sixers found an offensive rhythm, the Celtics were hitting threes consistently, with most of the damage coming off the bench. Payton Pritchard notched a game-high six threes and 32 points.

There was not much to sort through for Bell Ringer-worthy performances.

Joel Embiid: 26 points, 9-of-21 FG, 1-of-6 3PT, 7-of-9 FT, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

The big fella is the Bell Ringer tonight with a clear case over everyone else. The Celtics came out with a defensive intensity for which most of the Sixers were not ready. It just so happens the man just a little over two weeks removed from an appendectomy was able to withstand Boston’s energy and produce on the offensive end.

He opened the game immediately attacking Neemias Queta and drawing two early fouls to force him to the bench. He notched the team’s first field goal converting a transition dunk following a Paul Goerge steal and continued playing forcefully against Nikola Vucevic tallying the first eight points for the Sixers in his return.

No appendix? No problem.

Joel Embiid has scored all of the Sixers' first 8 points. pic.twitter.com/vHKharMeDx

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) April 26, 2026

Unfortunately, everywhere Embiid looked for help on offense, he got none. That is, at least for the first half, as Tyrese Maxey did spring to life offensively in the second half after only taking three shots by halftime. Paul George went 2-for-7 from the field in the first half, and VJ Edgecombe continued to struggle from deep. Embiid’s ability to draw fouls and his gravity were the only sources of offense for long stretches. By halftime, the Sixers had only 38 points.

In the third, the Sixers began hitting shots but were unable to get stops on the other end. Embiid found his touch from the midrange and even hit a straight ahead three-pointer. He went 6-for-11 from the field in the second half and theoretically shook off the rust. Despite the poor shooting night from the team, Embiid corralled only two offensive rebounds, and did not provide enough of a barrier to the Celtics’ persistent offensive rebounding.

Given it was his first game back, and that he played 34 minutes, it was a commendable outing for Embiid. However, a more polished performance may be the only thing to keep the Sixers from elimination.