HOUSTON — The Los Angeles Lakers dropped Game 4 of their first-round series to the Houston Rockets on April 26, 2026, but center Deandre Ayton left Toyota Center looking ahead to the next matchup in Los Angeles.
Ayton produced his strongest outing of the postseason with 19 points and 10 rebounds, yet his night ended early when officials upgraded an elbow to Rockets center Alperen Şengün to a Flagrant 2 foul. The ejection came with the Lakers already trailing, and Houston evened the series by capitalizing on Los Angeles’ shooting struggles and turnovers.
“I’m licking my chops,” Ayton said afterward. “I’ve been here before… I can’t wait [for Game 5].” The 27-year-old added that the home crowd at Crypto.com Arena should create “quite a game” and admitted he wished the contest could be played the following day.
Los Angeles looked fatigued less than 48 hours after an overtime victory in Game 3, with Ayton the lone Laker to find a rhythm offensively. The loss cut the Lakers’ series lead to 3–1, keeping Houston alive behind its youthful roster.
The Lakers may again be without Kevin Durant, who is considered unlikely for Game 5 because of a left ankle sprain. Head coach Darvin Ham’s team now faces renewed pressure to finish the series before the Rockets’ confidence grows.
Earlier in the week, Ayton mentioned Houston center Clint Capela while discussing his role in Los Angeles, comments Capela later said caught him off guard. Ayton maintains he intended no disrespect.
Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Source: LakersNation.com
