The Los Angeles Lakers opened up their first-round series against the Houston Rockets on Saturday evening and came away with a 107-98 win. Marcus Smart and LeBron James were ready to go, setting the tone for the Lakers and using their postseason experience to power the win.
Smart has had some battled with James as opponents in the playoffs over the years, but this time they were on the same side. Having veterans in a playoff setting always pays dividends and the Lakers guard spoke to what it is like to play alongside James in a heightened postseason environment as opposed to being on the other side.
“It’s been great,” Smart said. “Being able to see why he’s considered one of the greatest to do it, the way that he prepares for the playoffs. It’s a whole different mentality for him than the regular season. We see it, you guys see it, but as a teammate to be able to be there watching him get prepared, watching the things he’s doing to get himself ready, I’m glad I’m on his side this time.”
In his 23rd season, James needs to be methodical with how he exerts himself, particularly offensively. This is a testament to his IQ and Smart believes his unselfishness helps everyone’s confidence.
“First off, his IQ,” Smart said of what sets James apart. “He picks and chooses when to exert energy. He knows when to exert energy. But I think it just speaks about who he is and who he’s always been – a leader. He instills trust in his guys. The word we’re using now is elevate, and he elevates. To see a guy of his status being able to turn down shots to get other guys going and then picking and choosing when it’s his time, it helps us a lot and just shows his greatness.”
Obviously, Kevin Durant’s absence from Game 1 helped boost the Lakers’ chances of winning, but L.A. looked ready to play from tipoff. James cannot pull off a first-round series win by himself and he did a masterful job of putting his teammates in scoring positions, finishing with 13 assists.
Heading into Game 2, it will be intriguing to see if Los Angeles’ role players can sustain this kind of production. Luke Kennard, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura all had strong shooting nights, and these players should be more of an offensive rhythm due to James and Smart feeding them early and often.
LeBron James pleased with Lakers’ composure in Game 1 win
With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined for the first round, it would be easy for the Lakers to phone it in. However, head coach JJ Redick and his team were not willing to lie down.
They played inspired basketball in Game 1 and LeBron James was pleased with what he saw on both sides of the floor.
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