LOS ANGELES — Head coach JJ Redick believes the Los Angeles Lakers’ long list of regular-season setbacks is now paying dividends in the postseason. On April 18, 2026, his short-handed team defeated the Houston Rockets 115-107 at Crypto.com Arena, securing a 2-0 lead in the first-round series despite being without its two top scorers.
Four visiting teams won Game 2 elsewhere in the league that night, but the Lakers avoided that trend by bottling up Rockets star Kevin Durant and leaning on strong performances from LeBron James, Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard. Redick said the key was matching Houston’s urgency after the Rockets dropped the opener.
“In every series the club that loses tends to play desperate the next time out,” Redick noted. “We had to equal that edge and win a lot of small battles — from setting screens to boxing out — and our guys did just that.”
The Lakers shook off a shaky finish to the second quarter, regrouped and outscored Houston in the fourth. According to Redick, those late-game answers trace back to a roller-coaster regular season marked by injuries and lineup changes.
“The 82-game grind wasn’t punishment; it toughened us up,” he said. “Collectively we’ve shown resilience all year, and that belief is carrying over against a talented Houston squad.”
Durant, limited by Los Angeles’ aggressive coverage, finished with 24 points on 9-for-22 shooting. After the game he acknowledged the need to adjust against the Lakers’ pressure heading into Game 3.
Game 3 is scheduled for April 21 in Houston.
Source: LakersNation.com
