LeBron James, Lakers pull out OT win over Rockets, move to verge of sweep

LeBron James and Marcus Smart recorded double-doubles as the Los Angeles Lakers took a stranglehold on their first-round playoff series against the host Houston Rockets with a 112-108 overtime victory in Game 3 on Friday, April 24 (Saturday, April 25, Manila time).

After James (29 points, 13 rebounds) forced OT with a three-pointer, Smart scored 8 of his 21 points in the extra period to put the Lakers up 3-0 in the Western Conference quarterfinal series.

Smart added a team-high 10 assists, while Rui Hachimura put up 22 points for the Lakers.

The Lakers will look for a sweep of the best-of-seven set in Game 4 on Sunday at Houston.

“With two of our best players down (Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves), we’ve got to play desperate,” Smart said. “We’ve got to be the most desperate team, and that’s how we’ve been playing. And that’s how we’re winning, right? The chemistry has been good, and you’re starting to see guys’ confidence go up because of that.”

The Rockets were without leading scorer Kevin Durant for the second time in the series. Durant, who missed Game 1 with a knee contusion, was a late scratch due to a left ankle sprain sustained in the fourth quarter of Game 2.

Jabari Smith Jr. (24 points, 6 of 10 from three-point range) spearheaded Houston’s comeback early in the fourth quarter before Alperen Sengun nearly carried the Rockets to victory in regulation. Sengun converted two late turnovers by James, sinking a layup with 49.6 seconds left, then turning a steal into a transition dunk and a 101-95 lead nine seconds later.

However, the Lakers got late life when Smart made three free throws after absorbing a foul from Jae’Sean Tate with 25.4 seconds left. Then, with the Rockets leading 101-98, James forced a turnover in the backcourt and followed by draining a three-pointer that knotted the score with 13.6 seconds to go.

Each team missed another shot before regulation ended.

“It’s obviously a weakness of ours to close out and finish,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said. “The amount of mistakes and the types of mistakes are egregious, and you can’t have those. I talk about age all the time … but I’m looking at five years, four years, three years in the league and growing from there and not learning from previous experiences. That was the case there.”

Sengun paced the Rockets with 33 points and 16 rebounds, while Amen Thompson chipped in 26 points and 11 rebounds. Reed Sheppard, who gave the Rockets their first lead since the opening quarter with a trey at the 4:59 mark of the fourth quarter, tallied 17 points and 7 assists.

The Lakers, Hachimura in particular, fashioned a scorching start to build an early double-digit lead.

Hachimura tallied 16 first-quarter points on 6-for-6 shooting, and he hit a 3-pointer in an 11-0 run that lifted the Lakers to a 34-23 lead. Jaxson Hayes was critical to that spurt, igniting it with a three-point play and capping the run with an alley-oop dunk with 2:20 left in the period. Hayes’ steal resulted in the Hachimura trey, and Smart also sank a three-pointer during the rally.

The Lakers made that run with James on the bench. He returned and helped the Lakers extend to a 15-point lead. His son, Bronny James, drilled a three-pointer and converted a reverse layup off a pass from his father.

When the elder James stroked a three-pointer, the Lakers led 55-43. The margin was 11 at the intermission after the Lakers shot 57.5% from the floor, including 8 of 13 from behind the arc. LeBron James and Hachimura scored 16 apiece in the half. – Rappler.com