The Los Angeles Lakers held a commanding 3-0 series lead against the Houston Rockets, but then proceeded to drop Games 4 and 5. After failing to close things out at Crypto.com Arena, pressure began to seep into L.A.’s mind as Houston seemingly stole all momentum.
Game 6 carried tremendous weight as Los Angeles urgently needed to win to buy some time before a second-round matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. That is easier said than done in a hostile environment, but LeBron James came out and set the tone immediately. Accompanied by Rui Hachimura taking and making his 3-point shots when he was open, the Lakers were able to beat the Rockets in blowout fashion to advance to the second round.
In the first quarter, Houston struggled to produce quality offense along with an inability to make 3-pointers, but the Lakers clearly played with more force defensively. L.A. took a 23-18 lead heading to the second quarter, where they started to create separation.
Despite taking a 49-31 advantage at halftime, the Lakers could not afford to take their foot off the gas. The Rockets tried to mount a comeback with Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson getting downhill and scoring in the paint.
However, head coach JJ Redick made great use of his timeouts to break up any momentum that Houston was trying to build. James worked in the mid to low post all game long, which allowed him to score effectively or put his teammates in scoring position.
Austin Reaves joined the party in the second half, getting to the basket by attacking Sengun and Reed Sheppard out on the perimeter. While he struggled from the field in Game 5, he looked more like himself in Game 6 with his quick bursts and crafty finishes around the rim.
Additionally, Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton made great efforts outside of scoring with rebounds, steals and blocks. The starters did their jobs, which resulted in L.A. getting a 20-plus cushion and a bit of rest ahead of the final buzzer.
Specifically for Ayton, he came up with 16 rebounds and forced Sengun into 17 points on 5-for-12 shooting, making a huge different on the series as a whole.
On the night, James finished with a team-leading 28 points to go along with seven rebounds and eight assists. Hachimura also put up an efficient 21 points with five 3-pointers and Reaves chipped in 15 points on 7-for-14 from the field.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers have advanced to the second round to take on the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder and Game 1 is on Tuesday at Paycom Center. Playing another physical, defensive-minded team will present another daunting challenge for L.A., but they know what they are up against.
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