CLEVELAND — Telling someone back in 2015 that a Cleveland Cavaliers head coach would compare his point guard, James Harden, to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James would probably break their brain. We live in a weird world. The Cavs have been rolling offensively since adding Harden in February. The speed at which he processes […]
Going into his 19th playoff run, it’s remarkable that LeBron James is still capable of breaking records. And yet, on Saturday, the league’s greatest scorer and all-time leader in games played collected eight assists in the first quarter in the Lakers’ Game 1 win over the Rockets, a career high for any quarter of a […]
In last season’s Game 1 against the Wolves, the Lakers admitted they weren’t prepared for what was awaiting them. The result was them falling behind the eight ball from the jump and being forced to unsuccessfully play catch-up. Given that the team awaiting them in this year’s first round was a very physical Rockets team, […]
The Houston Rockets were without star forward and leading scorer Kevin Durant in Game 1 versus the L.A. Lakers due to a knee bruise he suffered in practice last week. According to Ime Udoka, it was a mobility issue for KD and not a pain one. Whether that’s just the coach covering for his player […]
Despite being ruled eligible for the award through the Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge, Luka Dončić was not named a finalist on Sunday for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award. The three finalists for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama. While we’ll get to SGA and Jokić, the most legitimate complaint is Wemby’s inclusion over Luka. […]
With two of the Lakers’ big three out, LeBron James finds himself once again asked to be anything and everything for the purple and gold. That would normally be a ton of pressure to put on one player in the postseason, but LeBron is not your typical athlete. In Game 1 against the Rockets, he […]
There was little faith amongst NBA experts that the Lakers could do much of anything against the Rockets. With no Luka Dončić or Austin Reaves to start the postseason, LA had a ton of offensive production unavailable. However, their absence creates opportunities for others, and Luke Kennard got the start in Game 1 and brought […]
LOS ANGELES – Saturday’s Game 1 between the Lakers and Rockets saw the Crypto.com Arena crowd will the purple and gold to victory behind the unlikeliest of leading men. Midway through the fourth with LA leading by 12, the Lakers ran an action to get their lead guard his fifth three of the night and […]
In Saturday’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, Tyrese Proctor’s Cleveland Cavaliers beat Toronto, featuring RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram, 126-113. Denver, with Tyus Jones, knocked off the Timberwolves, 116-105. The Hawks, coached by Quin Snyder and featuring Jalen Johnson, lost to New York, 113-102. The Los Angeles Lakers, coached by JJ Redick and starring Luke Kennard, grounded […]
Across the regular season, the crowd at Lakers games does not rank among the best in the league. The lion’s share of the blame falls on ownership for pricing out the common, diehard fans and replacing them with fans who too often view the game as a status symbol rather than a chance to root […]
The score of this one might suggest that the Rockets weren’t in fact spanked, by the Lakers. They were. This was a wire to wire win for LA, and at no point did it seem like the Rockets were going to push past LA, take a lead, and keep it. The Lakers held the Rockets […]
The deck was stacked against the Lakers heading into the playoffs, but what awaited them was a tower of cards ready to topple over in the Rockets. Kevin Durant being a surprise scratch pregame tilted the tower to the brink of falling and the purple and gold made it a mission to finish the job […]
A career night from Luke Kennard and a double-double from LeBron James powered the Lakers to a Game 1 win over the Rockets, 107-98. After finding out pregame that Kevin Durant would be out due to a right knee contusion, the Lakers took full advantage of the opportunity. LA grabbed a lead in the first […]
Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers April 18, 2026 Location: crypto.com arena, Los Angeles, CA TV:ABC Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español) Online: ABC/ESPN? Time: 7:30 PM CST Probable Starting Lineups Rockets: Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun Lakers: Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, Jake Laravia, Lebron James, […]
After two brutal injury blows to end the season, the Lakers are on the other end of the pendulum this time. Prior to Saturday’s Game 1 against the Rockets, Houston head coach Ime Udoka said Kevin Durant would be out for the contest. KD had been listed as questionable with a right knee contusion, an […]
The Lakers have had a history with many teams, including this year’s matchup in the Rockets. One might not think the Lakers and Rockets have any history together, but there is one surprising link between the two franchises. Pat Riley. Drafted by the San Diego Rockets in the 1967 NBA draft as the seventh pick […]
This is a lose-lose series for the Houston Rockets. If the Rockets win the series, then the narrative will be that the Los Angeles Lakers were hurt and of course the Rockets won. If Houston loses the series, they were frauds all along and will need to make wholesale changes this summer to retool around […]
Start time and TV schedule Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets When: 5:30 p.m. PT, Apr. 18 Where: Crypto.com Arena Watch: ABC After months of grinding through the rigorous challenge that is the NBA regular season, the playoffs have arrived and the state of the Lakers has been more uncertain than ever. With Luka Dončić and Austin […]
The Lakers have a tall task in front of them, trying to beat the Rockets with their biggest stars, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, out indefinitely. With Luka dealing with a hamstring strain and Reaves out with a Grade 2 oblique strain, the team doesn’t expect either to be available for the first round. However, […]
With the playoffs set to begin, LeBron James once again finds himself in a familiar role, trying to lead his team to postseason success. One aspect that is new and unfamiliar, however, is his contract status with his team whenever the year concludes. LeBron is entering the final year of his deal with the Lakers […]
With the dust settled on the regular season, the Lakers now turn their attention to the playoffs and their first- round matchup with the Houston Rockets. Despite having a better record and home-court advantage over their Western Conference counterpart, Los Angeles is projected to be a large underdog in the series. That’s the harsh reality of […]
There’s a whole other article here that’s tempting to write. Several, even. How about “If the Rockets lose to the Lakers, Ime Udoka should be on the hot seat”? That is a position that could easily be justified. Luka Doncic is out for Game 1, and questionable for Game 2. Austin Reaves is questionable for […]
The NBA playoffs are finally upon us, and that means one thing: it’s time to place every team in arbitrary tiers made by yours truly. First, we need to reiterate one thing. In any given year, only a handful of teams have legitimate shots at the title, as history’s shown that teams need a player […]
Happy NBA Playoff week! With the first round Rockets-Lakers series tipping off Saturday night, I figured it would be a good time to highlight three things I am looking forward to going into this series, and hopefully many series after! (Disclaimer: the items on this list are in no order, and are my personal hopes!) […]
Unfortunately for the Lakers, there hasn’t been much positive injury news regarding their two biggest stars, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Both missed the last five games of the regular season and have been ruled out indefinitely. Reaves is dealing with a Grade 2 oblique strain with a timetable of 4-6 weeks, and Dončić is […]