{"id":717527,"date":"2026-04-25T05:45:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T05:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/717527\/"},"modified":"2026-04-25T05:45:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T05:45:30","slug":"4-reasons-why-the-lakers-are-up-3-0-against-the-rockets-in-the-first-round-as-they-look-toward-a-sweep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/717527\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Reasons Why The Lakers Are Up 3-0 Against The Rockets In The First Round As They Look Toward A Sweep"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nobody saw this coming, at least not like this. The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> weren\u2019t supposed to be the team in control of this series, let alone up 3-0 against a Houston Rockets<\/a> squad many viewed as the favorite.<\/p>\n

But three games in, it\u2019s been clear: Los Angeles has been more experienced and far more clutch when it matters. Game 3 was just the latest example, a 112-108 win<\/a> that perfectly summed up how this series has tilted.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break down the biggest reasons why the Lakers are on the verge of a sweep.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. LeBron Is Controlling The Series Like It\u2019s 2018 Again<\/p>\n

At some point, you just stop questioning it.<\/p>\n

LeBron James<\/a> has been the steady hand throughout all three games, dictating tempo and delivering when things get tight. In Game 3, he dropped 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists on 10-22 shooting, playing a massive 45 minutes.<\/p>\n

Yes, the 8 turnovers aren\u2019t ideal, but here\u2019s the thing: he\u2019s controlling every possession late. Whether it\u2019s initiating offense, drawing help, or simply calming things down, the Lakers are playing on his terms.<\/p>\n

Across the series, his impact goes beyond the box score. The Lakers have led for 82% of Game 3, and that composure in big moments has been a constant theme. While Houston relies on bursts, LeBron controls the rhythm.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. Backcourt Execution Has Been The Deciding Factor<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for the real swing in this series, it\u2019s guard play, and the Lakers have won that battle convincingly.<\/p>\n

Marcus Smart<\/a> was phenomenal in Game 3 with\u00a021 points (5-9 FG), 10 assists, and 5 steals.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a two-way masterclass. He disrupted Houston\u2019s rhythm defensively while orchestrating offense on the other end.<\/p>\n

Luke Kennard<\/a> added 14 points and 6 assists, while shooting gravity spaced the floor (even at 1-6 from three, defenses still respect him).<\/p>\n

Compare that to Houston\u2019s guards:<\/p>\n

Reed Sheppard<\/a>: 17 points on 6-21 shooting, 4-13 from three, 5 turnovers
\nAmen Thompson<\/a>: solid (26 points, 11 rebounds, 10-13 FT), but not enough control late<\/p>\n

Across the series, the Lakers\u2019 guards have been more efficient, more composed, and far less mistake-prone in big moments.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

3. Shooting Efficiency Gap Has Decided Every Game<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t flashy, but it\u2019s been decisive.<\/p>\n

In Game 3:<\/p>\n

Lakers: 48% FG, 41% from three (12-29)
\nRockets: 41% FG, 28% from three (11-39)<\/p>\n

That\u2019s been the trend all series long. The Lakers simply get better shots, and make more of them.<\/p>\n

Rui Hachimura<\/a> has been a huge X-factor, going 8-14 with 22 points and 4 threes in Game 3. He\u2019s consistently punished Houston for helping off him.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Houston\u2019s inefficiency has been brutal with\u00a098 shot attempts in Game 3\u2026 for just 108 points and a heavy reliance on volume over efficiency.<\/p>\n

Even when the Rockets win the possession battle (they had 18 offensive rebounds in Game 3), they struggle to convert consistently.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

4. The Lakers Execute Late And The Rockets Don\u2019t<\/p>\n

This series has been defined by moments, not just numbers.<\/p>\n

Game 3 was tight. Houston had stretches where they looked like the better team:<\/p>\n

Alperen Sengun<\/a>: 33 points, 16 rebounds
\nAmen Thompson: 26 points, 11 boards<\/p>\n

Rockets actually out-rebounded the Lakers 49-45<\/p>\n

And yet\u2026 they lost.<\/p>\n

Why? Execution.<\/p>\n

The Lakers consistently make the right plays late due to leaner offensive possessions, better spacing, and more controlled decision-making.<\/p>\n

Houston, on the other hand, gets rushed. Even with just 17 turnovers in Game 3 (compared to the Lakers\u2019 21), their late-game offense lacked structure.<\/p>\n

Across the series, that\u2019s been the difference. When things tighten up, one team looks calm and the other looks unsure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nobody saw this coming, at least not like this. The Los Angeles Lakers weren\u2019t supposed to be the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":717528,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3790],"tags":[7,4034,1698,300,4044,251,150,4033,4043,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-717527","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles-lakers","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-la","10":"tag-la-lakers","11":"tag-lakers","12":"tag-lalakers","13":"tag-los-angeles","14":"tag-los-angeles-lakers","15":"tag-losangeles","16":"tag-losangeleslakers","17":"tag-nba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116463764976758541","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=717527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/717528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=717527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=717527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=717527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}