LOS ANGELES – For a 23-year veteran like LeBron James, leading a playoff team without two of its top scorers is not a crisis. It is just another challenge.
Even without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, the Los Angeles Lakers protected home court with a 107-98 Game 1 win over the Houston Rockets. And while Kevin Durant’s late scratch played a role, the bigger takeaway was how clearly the Lakers showed a blueprint for winning shorthanded.
“I’ve been in every situation that you could ever imagine as a basketball player,” James said. “There’s nothing that can surprise me.”
“It has to be a collective group,” James added. “When you’re missing so much firepower like we are right now with AR and Luka being out, we all have to pitch in. We all have to do our job and do a little bit more.”
James set the tone
Though James represented the last star standing, he hardly played like one intent on taking over the game to make up for key absences. James posted a respectable 19 points on 9-for-15 shooting. More importantly, James ensured offensive balance (13 assists) and defensive intensity (two steals, one block). That ensured James his 145th career playoff double-double.
“Wherever I can bring value to his ball club and value to this team throughout this series, it’s going to be a game to game situation to see how the game plays out,” James said. “I’m not going to predetermine what I’m going to do. The only thing I predetermine is how I prepare.”
The Lakers marvel at how the 41-year-old James takes care of his body with consistent weight training, film study and dieting. But his impact in Game 1 went beyond longevity. His eight first-quarter assists set the tone for a balanced attack that saw role players step up across the board. Luke Kennard (27 points), Deandre Ayton (19), Marcus Smart (15) and Rui Hachimura (14) all scored in double figures to fill the offensive void. James then picked his spots in the second half, becoming more aggressive when the game demanded it.
“He picks and chooses when to exert energy. He knows when to exert the energy,” Smart said. “He elevates us. To see a guy of his status being able to turn down shots to get other guys going and picking and choosing when it’s his time, it helps us a lot. And it shows his greatness.”
Kennard came through in the clutch
It should not surprise anyone that Kennard shot 9-for-13 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range.
“He is the No. 1 shooter in the NBA,” Ayton correctly noted.
Kennard also made a game-winning 3 earlier this season vs. Orlando. Nonetheless, Kennard’s sharp shooting came at the perfect time and explained why the Lakers acquired him from Atlanta before the trade deadline. Before then, the Lakers didn’t have anyone to complement Dončić and Reaves with consistent 3-point shooting. In Game 1, Kennard became the first Lakers player to make at least 5 threes without a miss in a playoff game since Robert Horry did so in 1997.
“I liked he was aggressive shooting 3s,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.
Throughout his 10-year NBA career, Kennard surprisingly would turn down open looks. After mostly thriving as a low-volume shooter, Kennard stayed just as efficient despite ranking second behind James in shot attempts.
“When I see space and the rim, I’m going to look to get it up,” Kennard said. “My teammates want me to do that. My coaches want me to do that.”
Ayton and Hachimura fueled Lakers defense
Beyond their offensive contributions, Ayton and Hachimura anchored the defensive effort. Ayton helped hold Rockets center Alperen Şengün to an inefficient 19 points on 6-for-19 shooting while also winning the rebounding battle. Hachimura took on the primary assignment against Amen Thompson, limiting his efficiency to 7-for-18 from the field.
“We’re taking the contact,” Ayton said. “If we don’t get the calls, play through them. Calls might not go our way. But still play through them.”
Rockets became overly frustrated with calls
Officials issued Rockets forward Ja’Sean Tate with a technical foul with 1:41 left in the third quarter after he became frustrated with a no-call on Smart. Shortly after, Rockets coach Ime Udoka picked up his own technical.
That moment was one of several instances where the Rockets became overly focused on the officiating. The Lakers had their disagreements as well, but they stayed more composed and locked into the game.
“For me and this team to stay as poised as we did, that is the part to me that really stood out that made me think we’re ready,” Smart said. “As long as we continue to do that, I think we’ll be in good shape.”
Lakers have become used to fluid rosters
The Lakers seemed prepared for a diminished roster because they have dealt with it all season. They navigated a constant rotation of injuries, with James missing time early due to sciatica and foot issues, Reaves sidelined for 22 games with a calf strain, and Dončić missing 11 games with a hamstring injury. That experience helped them stay composed in Game 1.
LeBron and Bronny made their NBA playoff debut together.
About a 1 ½ years after becoming the first father-son duo to play in an NBA regular-season game together, LeBron and Bronny James became the first father-son duo to play together in a playoff game.
“That’s probably the craziest thing that has ever happened to me in my career,” LeBron said. “It was so cool to be out there with him.”
LeBron and Bronny played together for the first 3:50 of the second quarter. They didn’t set each other up for a basket. But on one sequence, Bronny fed James on the entry before LeBron whipped a behind-the-back pass to Ayton for a scoring chance that just missed.
That didn’t ruin the overall moment, though. LeBron said his wife (Savannah) and mom (Gloria) attended the game.
“My mom gets to watch her son and grandson during the playoffs,” LeBron said. “That’s crazy.”
Dončić and Reaves rejoined team
The Lakers don’t have any timetable on when they expect Dončić and Reaves will return. But they sat on the Lakers’ bench and appeared engaged with their teammates. Dončić and Reaves often high-fived teammates after substitutions and during timeouts. During one timeout, Reaves dribbled a ball while standing up. During another timeout, Dončić dapped up Kennard before asking a team official to hand him a box score.
Will Kevin Durant play in Game 2?
NBA teams that win in Game 1 ultimately prevail in the playoff series about 75% of the time. The Lakers aren’t buying into that trend, though. Beyond wanting to trim their 18 turnovers and reduce the Rockets’ offensive rebounding (21-3), they also are aware that Durant might return.
Durant became a late scratch in Game 1 after suffering a right knee contusion that Udoka said came from bumping knees during practice on Wednesday. Durant participated in a pre-game warmup, but Udoka said he “didn’t feel good enough.”
“It’s very tender, tough to bend certain ways,” Udoka said of Durant’s knee. “He hit it in a very awkward spot, I guess, more than anything. If he had a regular bumped knee, I think he could kind of play through that. But right above the knee, the patellar tendon area, up there, it’s just very tender and sore.”
Nonetheless, Udoka added that “hopefully, it’s a one-game thing,” setting up a major variable heading into Game 2 as the Lakers look to build on their Game 1 blueprint.
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for EssentiallySports. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
