The Los Angeles Lakers erased a six-point deficit in the final 30 seconds and defeated the Houston Rockets (Apr. 24, 2026) in overtime at Toyota Center, seizing a 3-0 advantage in their first-round playoff series.
Forward Rui Hachimura finished with 22 points and later acknowledged the comeback likely would not have happened earlier in the year. “I think it was a mentality,” he said. “We never give up. Especially in the playoffs, we always gotta fight through. If it was the regular season, I’m not gonna lie, we might’ve probably just let it go.”
The rally began when Los Angeles forced two late turnovers, converting them into six points that knotted the score and sent the contest to an extra period. LeBron James and Marcus Smart joined Hachimura in closing out the win, with Smart’s late steal and James’ ensuing basket pushing the Lakers ahead for good.
“Marcus made a big play, but we always make big plays in the last stretch, especially our defense,” Hachimura added. “We’ve been in a lot of close games and we always finish strong.”
Head coach JJ Redick credited his veterans for keeping the team composed on the road. “Before the game and at halftime we talked about elevating everything,” Redick said. “Smart made a huge play to get us into a one-possession game, then coming out of that timeout Rui and Bron put pressure on Sheppard, we made the steal and Bron hits a big-time shot.”
The victory moved Los Angeles within one win of advancing to the Western Conference semifinals.
Source: LakersNation.com
