LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James had 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Houston Rockets for a 101-94 victory Tuesday night and a stunning 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Marcus Smart had 25 points and seven assists for the Lakers, who have twice overcome the absences of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves with a team effort led by the 41-year-old James. Los Angeles did it again in Game 2 despite the return of Kevin Durant, who scored just three of his 23 points in the second half against the Lakers' tenacious defense.
Luke Kennard scored 23 points for Los Angeles, which nursed a small lead throughout the fourth quarter of Game 2. Smart found James streaking down the lane for a theatrical dunk with 55 seconds to play, and Kennard added two late free throws to ice it.
Game 3 is Friday in Houston.
Alperen Sengun had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who again struggled offensively even with Durant making his Houston playoff debut. Jabari Smith Jr. scored 18 points and Amen Thompson had 16, but the Rockets made only 40.4% of their shots and managed just seven 3-pointers.
Three days after he missed the series opener with a right knee bruise, Durant took only 12 shots and had nine turnovers to begin his fourth career playoff matchup against the 41-year-old James. The superstars previously met in the NBA Finals in 2012, 2017 and 2018.
Durant’s absence from Game 1 — along with his teammates’ poor shooting and Los Angeles’ exceptionally good shooting — allowed the fourth-seeded Lakers to open with a surprising victory in a series they’re widely expected to lose in the absence of their top two scorers, who both got injured April 2.
Durant blocked Kennard’s shot on the first possession of Game 2, but then got in early foul trouble while the Lakers again streaked to a large first-half lead.
The Lakers couldn’t match their 60% shooting in Game 1, but Smart and Kennard combined for 24 points in an impressive first quarter of Game 2. Los Angeles opened a 15-point lead in the second quarter before Houston evened it right after halftime.
The Lakers are getting exceptional postseason play from Smart, the longtime Celtics guard who joined Los Angeles this season. Although he missed much of the regular-season stretch run due to injury, Smart has immediately added toughness and playmaking acumen to the Lakers' supporting cast.
Both Smart and Kennard went 8 for 13 from the field.
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