Marcus Smart Says Lakers’ Poise Showed They Were Prepared for Rockets
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LOS ANGELES — Veteran guard Marcus Smart said he realized the Los Angeles Lakers were ready for the Houston Rockets the moment his teammates refused to lose their composure during a chippy stretch of Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series.
Playing on April 18, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena without injured leading scorers Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Lakers leaned on Smart’s postseason experience. The 32-year-old finished with 15 points, eight assists, two rebounds, two blocks and a steal in a 108-97 victory.
“You’re playing against a really good team that does a great job mucking up the game, seeing who’s the toughest,” Smart said after the win. “It got a little chippy out there, a couple technicals called. For this team to stay as poised as we did — that’s when I knew we were ready.”
Los Angeles opened strongly but surrendered its early lead during a sloppy second quarter. Instead of unraveling, the Lakers responded with a dominant third period to regain control. Smart credited the club’s veteran core — which includes LeBron James — for keeping emotions in check.
The Rockets were also without a star, as forward Kevin Durant remained sidelined, but Houston’s physical play still tested the short-handed Lakers.
Parallel to 2018 Celtics
Smart compared the Lakers’ current situation to his 2018 Boston Celtics squad that reached the Eastern Conference Finals despite injuries to Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.
“Resiliency,” he said. “In 2018 we were resilient no matter who we had on the floor. Our two best players are hurt now, and we’ve got to show we’re resilient, especially against a team that’ll make you prove it. That’s what makes this team dangerous.”
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for April 20 in Los Angeles.
Source: LakersNation.com
