The Los Angeles Lakers delivered a statement performance on Friday night, crushing the Houston Rockets 98-78 in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series. Led by LeBron James' 28 points, the Lakers used a devastating 27-3 run in the first half to seize control and never looked back, holding the Rockets to a season-low scoring output.
The victory sends the No. 4 seed Lakers to the second round for the first time since 2023, when they fell to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals—a series they played without top scorer Luka Doncic. Now, Los Angeles faces its toughest test yet: a matchup against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, with Game 1 set for Tuesday night in Oklahoma City.
The game turned early in the first quarter. After trailing by five points with about five minutes left in the opening period, the Lakers flipped a switch. A 27-3 blitz carried them to a 38-19 lead with roughly seven minutes remaining in the second quarter. Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, and James each knocked down three-pointers during that stretch, as Los Angeles connected on 12 triples for the night. The Lakers carried an 18-point advantage into halftime.
Houston tried to claw back in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 71-55 heading into the fourth after an 8-2 run. But the Lakers answered immediately, opening the final period with a 10-3 surge—five points from Hachimura—to push the lead to 81-58 with about seven minutes left. From there, the game was all but over.
For the Rockets, it was a frustrating end to a season of resilience. Amen Thompson scored 18 points, and Alperen Sengun added 17, but Houston's shooting woes were impossible to overcome. The Rockets made just 35% of their field goals overall and an abysmal 5-of-28 from three-point range—a stark contrast to the 26 made threes they'd combined for in the previous two games. Rookie Reed Sheppard struggled mightily, going 1-for-10 from deep.
The fifth-seeded Rockets exit the playoffs in the first round for the second straight season, following last year's seven-game loss to the Golden State Warriors. Their series was defined by adversity: superstar Kevin Durant missed all but one game due to knee and ankle issues. Still, Houston showed fight, winning two straight after falling into an 0-3 hole before the Lakers' ruthless closeout.
For Lakers fans, this win is more than just a series clincher—it's a sign of a team hitting its stride at the perfect time. With LeBron leading the charge and a balanced supporting cast stepping up, Los Angeles looks ready for the challenge that awaits in Oklahoma City.