With the clock winding down in regulation, it looked as though the Los Angeles Lakers were on the verge of losing their first game of the 2026 NBA playoffs. The Houston Rockets executed brilliantly in the final minutes and even took a six-point lead with around 30 or so seconds left in the ballgame. But then all hell broke loose in the Lakers’ favor, and they ended up taking a 3-0 lead in their first-round series after storming back from the dead and taking a 112-108 win in overtime.

Losing Game 3 would not have been a disaster for the Lakers. They were still in an advantageous position, especially with Kevin Durant on the mend. But the Lakers pulled off a miracle of divine proportions, and they now find themselves holding a commanding 3-0 lead.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick credited his team for never giving up and displaying excellent poise in the face of adversity.

”Next play. Next play. … That’s the hallmark of poise,” Redick said, via Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times.

Quite a few fans must have thought that the Lakers had no chance to recover when the Rockets had begun to pull away in the game’s dying embers. But Marcus Smart showed no quit all night long, and LeBron James did his thing in the clutch — nailing the all important triple that tied the game.

Many counted out this Lakers team in recent weeks after Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves went down with injuries. But LA has displayed some incredible mettle that deserves all the love in the world.

The Rockets’ mental game must be in shambles right now. Going down 3-0 has always been a death knell in the NBA playoffs, and the Lakers have shoved them one step closer towards elimination.

If the Lakers continue displaying this kind of grit and buy enough time for their main guards to return, this team should not be taken lightly all the more.

With the clock winding down in regulation, it looked as though the Los Angeles Lakers were on the verge of losing their first game of the 2026 NBA playoffs. The Houston Rockets executed brilliantly in the final minutes and even took a six-point lead with around 30 or so seconds left in the ballgame.