SERIES SCHEDULE
(Best-of-seven, all times are PT)
Game 1 – Sat., at Lakers, 5:30 p.m., ABC (Ch. 7)
Game 2 – Tues., at Lakers, 7:30 p.m., NBC (Ch. 4)
Game 3 – Fri., April 24, at Rockets, 5 p.m., Prime
Game 4 – Sun., April 26, at Rockets, 6:30 p.m., NBC (Ch. 4)
x-Game 5 – Wed. April 29, at Lakers, TBD
x-Game 6 – Fri., May 1, at Rockets, TBD
x-Game 7 – Sun., May 3, at Lakers, TBD
x – If necessary
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Lakers won the season series 2-1
Dec. 25: Rockets 119, Lakers 96, at Crypto.com Arena
March 16: Lakers 100, Rockets 92, at Houston
March 18: Lakers 124, Rockets 116, at Houston
TALE OF THE TAPE
Rockets (reg.-season rank) category … Lakers (reg.-season rank)
52-30 … Season record … 53-29
115.2 (18th) … PPG … 116.3 (11th)
110 (4th) … Opp. PPG … 114.6 (11th)
47.9% (10th) … FG Pct. … 50.2% (1st)
36.4% (10th) … 3-point Pct. … 35.9% (14th)
76.3% (25th) … FT Pct. … 76.3% (26th)
48.1 (1st) … Rebounds … 41 (27th)
25.4 (21st) … Assists … 25.9 (17th)
8.5 (T-14th) … Steals … 8.5 (T-14th)
5.8 (3rd) … Blocked shots … 4.3 (22nd)
15.4 (24th) … Turnovers … 14.5 (T-15th)
STARTING BACKCOURT
A month ago, when the Lakers beat the Rockets twice in three days in Houston, Luka Doncic was at the forefront of both victories. Lakers forward Jake LaRavia described Doncic’s performances during that mid-March span as being on a “heater.” Well, Doncic, the league’s scoring champion at 33.5 points per game, has been out since the start of April with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. The Slovenian star’s availability for later in the series is murky at best as he returns from treatment in Europe. Not to mention, Austin Reaves (career-high 23.3 ppg) joins Doncic on the sidelines, seemingly less likely than his counterpart to return, suffering a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury in the same game in Oklahoma City. Lakers coach JJ Redick will need to trust LeBron James, along with swingman-turned-ball handler Luke Kennard (8.4 ppg and a league-best 47.8% from 3-point range) and veteran Marcus Smart (9.3 ppg, 3.0 assists) in a backcourt combination they never expected. On health alone, Houston has the edge here. Amen Thompson is a rising star, averaging a career-high 18.3 ppg on a team-best 53.4% from the field while continuing his defensive prowess after earning All-NBA Defensive First Team honors a year ago. Along with Josh Okogie (played in a career-high 78 games) and Reed Sheppard (13.5 ppg, 43% from the field), the Rockets could ride with either of their sixth-man-like guard options alongside Thompson. EDGE: ROCKETS
STARTING FRONTCOURT
James – fresh off his record-70th Player of the Week award after he averaged 24 points, 6 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 3 steals – is the Lakers’ best bet across the board, in the frontcourt, in the backcourt and in all facets of the game. Redick joked Wednesday that the extra days of rest in the series schedule can only help his 41-year-old star, who has been asked to revert back to primary star duties with Doncic and Reaves “indefinitely” off the board. Don’t let the career-low scoring average fool you (his 23.3 ppg is a tick below his rookie season in Cleveland), James can still score. Where James might struggle is with his teammates around him in comparison to what Houston offers with the likes of Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün. The Lakers will ride with forward Rui Hachimura and center Deandre Ayton to round out the starting lineup. In his fourth season in purple and gold, Hachimura had the second-best shooting marks of his career from the field (51.4%) and 3-point range (44.3%). Where Hachimura lacks presence is with his physicality in the paint, averaging a career-low 3.3 rebounds per game. Ayton has had an up-and-down season despite playing in a career-high 72 games. The Lakers’ 7-footer averaged career-low marks in points (12.5 ppg) and rebounds (8 rpg), but that’s partly because he’s become more of a role player alongside Doncic, Reaves and James. Durant, who is facing off against James in the playoffs for the first time since the 2018 NBA Finals, paces the Houston offense with 26 ppg on 52% shooting from the field and 41.3% from 3-point range. The 6-11 Sengun has become the backbone of Rockets coach Ime Udoka’s teams, coming off his second consecutive All-Star appearance. He averages 20.4 ppg, 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists, and his three offensive boards per game help make the Rockets’ frontcourt a difficult group to handle. Although quieter compared to the Rockets’ stars, Jabari Smith Jr. has posted career-high scoring numbers (15.8 ppg) while primarily starting. EDGE: ROCKETS
BENCHES
These are the two lowest-scoring bench offenses in the league. The Lakers are 29th at 29.3 ppg, and the Rockets are last at 27.6 ppg. It’s slim pickings on both ends, but because the Lakers’ injuries have forced players like Kennard into starting roles, the bench has at times been relying on players like second-year guard Bronny James and forward Jarred Vanderbilt – a player who exchanged words with Redick during a timeout a week and a half ago. LaRavia, the hard-nosed defensive forward, is the first man off the bench for the Lakers despite inconsistent scoring, while backup center Jaxson Hayes could end up with more minutes than Ayton in some games, after averaging 7.5 ppg and 4.1 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game. For the Rockets, either Okogie or Sheppard will come off the bench, while the likes of forward Tari Eason, guard Aaron Holiday and center Clint Capela round out the group. Former Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith fell out of favor over the last two months, leading to increased playing time for Eason. Eason could be the X-Factor for the Rockets, as a double-digit scorer (10.5 ppg) who can attack the Lakers at spots where they’re relatively limited, depth-wise. If things go awry, the Lakers might turn to backup post Maxi Kleber or recently signed guard Nick Smith Jr., who was on a two-way contract as of last week. But if Redick finds himself in that situation, then the Lakers are doing quite well or in the hurt locker, as the on-paper matchup appears. EDGE: ROCKETS
COACHES
Redick not only has led the Lakers to consecutive 50-win seasons, but in 2025-26, the second-year coach has done it with Doncic, James and Reaves playing in fewer than 30 games together. With two of those pieces off the board, Redick has gotten more out of his role players such as Kennard and Smart in an attempt to MacGyver a postseason run while the Lakers try to rehab their stars in time for them to contribute. Redick has shown a knack for X’s and O’s. He wanted the Lakers to improve their defensive tack after the All-Star break, and they have gone from 23rd in defensive rating before the break to 14th since. All the while, the Lakers are the league’s best shooting team by efficiency standards (50.2% field goal percentage). Redick won’t win NBA Coach of the Year, but he has earned respect around the league after taking the job without any prior coaching experience. Udoka, on the other hand, has kept the Rockets rolling since he started as coach in 2023 after a stint in Boston. The Rockets have never had a losing record under Udoka and have back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time since 2017-2019. Known for his defensive tenacity, Udoka ripped his team during a post-game press conference after a loss to the Chicago Bulls. A few weeks later, the Rockets got back on track and won eight straight before the end of the regular season. EDGE: LAKERS
INTANGIBLES
Earlier this week, Smart rightly pointed to who he has by his side when asked about the challenge posed by the fifth-seeded Rockets. Truth is, Smart and James have a wealth of playoff experience, knowledge and the physicality to go with it, combining for 27 seasons worth of playoff appearances. Even Ayton, who has not met the expectations that come with being a No. 1 draft pick, has NBA Finals experience with the Phoenix Suns in 2021. Yes, the Rockets have Durant, an all-world scorer who has a career worth of highlight moments under the bright lights. James has won four NBA titles. Durant has won two, both of which came against James when they were with Golden State and Cleveland, respectively. The Lakers built a gritty identity in March, when they went 15-2. The Rockets ended the season on a high, but even shorthanded, the Lakers have a mindset that could be hard to budge in win-or-go-home environments. EDGE: LAKERS
SERIES PREDICTION
So much was going right for the Lakers just a few weeks ago. And if they can find a path to a second-round matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the possible return of Doncic and Reaves could flip momentum on its head. Right now, the Lakers have no momentum, little belief from the general public and just don’t have enough talent to match what the Rockets have showcased this season. I do think the Lakers could scrape together a few victories, show that they’ve got the fight and that James can still be the star his team needs with their backs against the wall. But even if the Rockets are a tad bit disjointed, facing the trio of Thompson, Sengun and Durant without the star quality to match feels like too much of a challenge. If you rank the top five healthy players in this series, James is on the list, but he might be the only Laker. That alone tells the story. ROCKETS IN FIVE