The Los Angeles Lakers are just one win away from punching their ticket to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

The Lakers took a commanding 3-0 series lead with a with a 112–108 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets in Friday’s Game 3.

After the Lakers controlled the first half of the game, the Rockets came back in the second half and held a four-point lead in the final minute of regulation, but a game-tying three-pointer from LeBron James with under 10 seconds left forced overtime.

The Lakers have been without Austin Reeves this series, but the injured guard is officially listed as a game-time decision today, upgraded from questionable on Friday, and could make his playoff debut.

If the Rockets win tonight, the series will go back to Los Angeles for Wednesday’s Game 5.

Lakers vs. Rockets start time:

Tonight’s (April 26) Lakers vs. Rockets playoff game is scheduled to tip off at 6:30 p.m. PT / 9:30 p.m. ET.

How to watch Lakers vs. Rockets for free:

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the game for free.

DIRECTV is our top pick for watching basketball live for free — its five-day free trial includes NBC (plus every other channel you’ll need for the NBA playoffs including local channels). When the trial is over, you’ll pay as low as $49.99/month and gain access to over 90 live channels.

Sling TV is another affordable way to stream NBA games; its Select plan includes NBC and starts at $19.99/month.

Lakers vs. Rockets first round playoff schedule

• Game 1: Lakers 107, Rockets 98
• Game 2: Lakers 101, Rockets 94
• Game 3: Lakers tk, Rockets tk
• Game 4: April 26, 9:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
• Game 5: April 29*
• Game 6: May 1*
• Game 7: May 3*

* if necessary

NBA Playoffs key dates:

• April 18: NBA Playoffs First Round begins
• June 3: Game 1 of the NBA Finals

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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

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