LeBron James delivered 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists as the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 101-94 on Tuesday night, taking a surprising 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Marcus Smart contributed 25 points and seven assists for the Lakers, who have now twice overcome the absence of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves with a collective effort led by the 41-year-old James, News.Az reports, citing AP.

Los Angeles repeated the feat in Game 2 despite the return of Kevin Durant, who scored only three of his 23 points in the second half as the Lakers’ defense tightened.

Luke Kennard added 23 points for Los Angeles, which maintained a narrow advantage throughout the fourth quarter. With 55 seconds remaining, Smart found James cutting to the basket for a dramatic dunk, and Kennard later sealed the win by converting two late free throws.

Game 3 is scheduled for Friday in Houston.

For the Rockets, Alperen Şengün posted 20 points and 11 rebounds, but the fifth-seeded team continued to struggle offensively even with Durant making his Houston playoff debut. Jabari Smith Jr. scored 18 points and Amen Thompson added 16, but Houston shot just 40.4% from the field and made only seven three-pointers.

Durant, who had missed Game 1 due to a right knee bruise, took just 12 shots and committed nine turnovers in what marked his fourth career playoff matchup against the 41-year-old James. The two superstars previously met in the NBA Finals in 2012, 2017, and 2018.

Durant blocked Kennard’s first shot attempt of Game 2, but soon found himself in early foul trouble as the Lakers again built a significant first-half lead.

Although Los Angeles could not replicate its 60% shooting performance from Game 1, Smart and Kennard combined for 24 points in a strong first quarter. The Lakers built a 15-point lead in the second quarter before Houston managed to tie the game shortly after halftime.

Smart, who joined the Lakers this season after a long stint with the Boston Celtics, has provided significant postseason impact. Despite missing much of the late regular season due to injury, he has quickly strengthened Los Angeles’ rotation with toughness and playmaking ability.

Both Smart and Kennard finished the game shooting 8-for-13 from the field.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev