Lakers lean on Kennard’s perfect shooting to take Game 1
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With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined, newly acquired sharpshooter Luke Kennard delivered a career night to lead the Los Angeles Lakers past the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of their first-round series.
The guard poured in 27 points—his highest total in any postseason game—while hitting all five of his three-point attempts. His previous playoff best was 21 points in 2019. Kennard’s final triple sealed the nine-point victory and drew a roaring response from the Crypto.com Arena crowd.
“I’ve been in situations like this, maybe not at this level, but I’ve played in the playoffs as a playmaker before,” Kennard said. “Everything leading up to now prepared me for moments like this.”
LeBron sets early assist mark
With the Lakers’ primary creators out, LeBron James opened the game by dishing eight assists in the first quarter—his most in any playoff quarter over his 23-year career. He finished with 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds.
“I’ve got to do a little bit of everything,” James said. “Being a triple threat—rebounding, passing, shooting, defending—brings value to our team throughout this series.”
Historic appearance for Bronny
Rookie guard Bronny James logged four minutes and did not record a stat, yet his brief stint was historic. He and his father became the first father-son duo to share the court in an NBA playoff game. Head coach JJ Redick turned to the younger James for a short burst of energy and defense amid a depleted backcourt.
Turnovers and boards still an issue
Redick stressed the need to protect the ball and control the glass against Houston, but Los Angeles surrendered 20 turnovers and allowed 21 offensive rebounds. Despite those lapses, composure and James’ orchestration carried the Lakers to a 1–0 series lead.
Source: Hoops Rumors
