In Game 1, it was Luke Kennard who caught fire and made Los Angeles Lakers playoff history with his performance against the Houston Rockets. In Game 2, however, it was Marcus Smart who was the catalyst for the Lakers taking a 2-0 series lead.
Smart knocked down 8-of-13 from the field including five 3-pointers, finishing with 25 points, seven assists and five steals in the Lakers’ 101-94 victory. And in doing so, Smart became the first player in franchise history to make five 3-pointers and have five steals in a playoff game, via StatMuse:
Marcus Smart in Game 2:
25 PTS
7 AST
5 STL
8-13 FG
5-7 3PThe first player in franchise history with 5+ steals and 5+ threes in a playoff game. pic.twitter.com/3f12BdwVQE
— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 22, 2026
Smart got the Lakers off to a strong start, hitting three of those 3-pointers and snatching a pair of steals in the first quarter. He had 14 in the first as the Lakers held a seven-point lead. But of course the Rockets would fight back and the Lakers found themselves trying to hold on to the lead coming down the stretch of the fourth quarter.
That is where Smart would come through again as he made play after play in the final minutes. With the Lakers up just five, Smart would knock down a huge 3-point shot from the corner to give them some breathing room and go up by eight. Then after hitting a pair of free throws, Smart would force a Kevin Durant turnover and then hit LeBron James on a backdoor cut for a huge dunk to put the nail in the coffin.
It is games like these that show why the Lakers signed Smart this offseason. His energy and effort on defense is crucial for this team and he was one of the main reasons why the Lakers were able to hold Durant to just three points in the second half while also forcing nine turnovers from the Rockets’ superstar.
But Smart is also a veteran with a ton of playoff experience who doesn’t shy away from the big moments and when the Lakers needed him most, he came through on offense and defense and now the Lakers head back to Houston with a 2-0 series lead.
Marcus Smart explains ‘new feeling’ in return to playoffs with Lakers
While Smart has plenty of playoff experience, none of that has come over the past two years as he struggled with injuries on losing teams. But now being back in the postseason, Smart noted a bit of a new feeling he is experiencing with this Lakers team.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
