A couple of weeks ago, the thought of the Lakers being lucky injury-wise was laughable. However, now that they\u2019ve played three playoff games, LA is trending in a positive direction with its injuries, and other Western Conference teams are in trouble.<\/p>\n
The Denver Nuggets are trailing 2-1 in their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Aaron Gordon missed Game 3 with tightness in his calf. The San Antonio Spurs are tied 1-1 against the Portland Trail Blazers, but were without Victor Wembanyama in Game 3 due to a concussion.<\/p>\n
And the Oklahoma City Thunder may be up 2-0 against the Phoenix Suns, but Jalen Williams sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated weekly.<\/p>\n
The Lakers, on the other hand, are in front of the Houston Rockets 3-0, have suffered no additional injuries and Austin Reaves is inching closer to a return.<\/p>\n
Barring a setback, his return is imminent. LA is winning, Reaves is returning and, suddenly, a season that felt like a loss has gotten interesting once again.<\/p>\n
So, let\u2019s dive into the win<\/a>. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A \u201cB\u201d grade represents the average performance for that player.<\/p>\n 45 minutes, 29 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 8 turnovers, 1 foul, 10-22 FG, 4-9 3PT, 5-6 FT, 0<\/p>\n LeBron had a slow start to this game, but he certainly picked up his production as the contest progressed. He had an amazing moment in the first half, lobbing the ball to Bronny and adding another historic moment to this family affair.<\/p>\n In the third, LeBron scored some timely baskets to keep the Rockets away and when Houston took over late in the fourth, Bron poked the ball away from Reed Sheppard and hit a huge three to extend the game to overtime.<\/p>\n He was incredible, and as LA\u2019s leader, he\u2019s found a way to get this team out to a 3-0 lead despite their two other stars being unavailable. This series will be part of his highlight reel in a career filled with iconic moments.<\/p>\n 44 minutes, 22 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 5 fouls, 8-14 FG, 4-7 3PT, 2-4 FT, 0<\/p>\n Hachimura was an offensive monster in this game. He started the game a perfect 6-6 from the field and remained impactful the rest of the way. Hachimura is a playoff riser, and he\u2019s been that throughout his Lakers tenure.<\/p>\n 33 minutes, 2 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 1-3 FG, -6<\/p>\n Ayton had a rough game and was benched once again during clutch time in the fourth. However, he played in overtime, won a jump ball over Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn and had some good defensive possessions against the Rockets\u2019 big.<\/p>\n He needs to be better, but he stepped up in small ways when it mattered late in this game.<\/p>\n 39 minutes, 21 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 5-9 FG, 2-4 3PT, 9-11 FT, +3<\/p>\n The Lakers don\u2019t win this game without Marcus Smart. He scored 21 points, had some huge defensive rebounds and knocked down some clutch free throws in overtime to bury the Rockets.<\/p>\n He\u2019s as tough as nails on the court, and his intensity is something you simply can\u2019t teach. He establishes this team\u2019s identity and makes everyone around him better by his mere presence.<\/p>\n 45 minutes, 14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 4-12 FG, 1-6 3PT, 5-6 FT, -3<\/p>\n Kennard regressed back to the mean. He wasn\u2019t an offensive juggernaut like he was in Game 1 and didn\u2019t find other ways to be effective.<\/p>\n This was just an average performance from Kennard and LA is fortunate that it didn\u2019t cost them.<\/p>\n 20 minutes, 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 5-8 FG, 2-3 FT, +7<\/p>\n Hayes didn\u2019t dominate in this game, but he had a monster dunk in the first half and had a key stop against \u015eeng\u00fcn in the closing seconds to extend the game to overtime.<\/p>\n He was a defensive liability late in this contest, but the Lakers won and the timely stop helps the outlook on his overall performance.<\/p>\n 15 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 1-4 FG, +9<\/p>\n LaRavia had some awful misses, was turning the ball over, stumbling on the ground and started to get passive with his shot attempts in the second half. Props to LaRavia for playing through an ankle sprain<\/a>, but he has been horrendous.<\/p>\n Hopefully, he plays better because the Lakers have a tight rotation and can\u2019t afford to have someone playing this badly.<\/p>\n 15 minutes, 5 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 fouls, 2-5 FG, 0-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, +6<\/p>\n It turns out that if you play Vando more, his offense improves and his defense remains elite. He had some nice passes in this game and an impressive up-and-under finish at the rim.<\/p>\n I doubt head coach JJ Redick will keep him in the rotation once Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and Reaves come back, but he should seriously consider it.<\/p>\n 9 minutes, 5 points, 1 foul, 2-2 FG, 1-1 3PT, +4<\/p>\n Bronny had a great moment in the second quarter, converting on a lob from LeBron, and a short shift in the fourth that was okay. The growth he\u2019s had recently is impressive, but it still might be a bit too much playing time for a close contest in the postseason.<\/p>\n Smith Jr. appeared only on the final play of regulation and will also not be graded.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t a perfect game for Redick. He couldn\u2019t help the Lakers as they struggled offensively in the third and playing Bronny in the fourth was rough.<\/p>\n Still, he made the right calls in overtime, going with Ayton, and used his timeouts effectively down the stretch. Redick has done a superb job with his game plan throughout this series and Game 3 was no exception.<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s DNPs: Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s inactives: Luka Don\u010di\u0107, Austin Reaves<\/p>\n You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88<\/a> or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social<\/a>.<\/p>\n