LeBron James has never surrendered a similar playoff lead, now 32-for-32 in such series. Without Doncic and Reaves, the King controlled Game 2, logging 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard also excelled from long range. Smart knocked down five triples on his way to 25 points, while Kennard chipped in 23, draining three of six from beyond the arc (8/13 FG).
In Game 1, Los Angeles had already drawn strength from Kevin Durant’s late scratch. In Tuesday’s Game 2, Houston’s Slim Reaper self-destructed in the second half. Durant had looked unstoppable in the opening frame, pouring in 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting, but he managed only five points after the break and coughed up nine turnovers, five coming after halftime.
The series now shifts to Houston for Games 3 and 4, with the Lakers poised to serve up their first match point on Friday night.