Lakers are old and after a grueling Game 3, it finally showed in Game 4
The Los Angeles Lakers looked exhausted in a 115-96 Game 4 loss to the Houston Rockets, with LeBron James and an aging roster showing signs of fatigue after logging heavy minutes in Game 3.
The warning signs were there from the opening tip. You could see it in the body language. In the heavy legs.
In the passes that drifted too low. In the shots that fell short on the rim. In the compounding mental mistakes.
Fatigue isn’t an excuse, but it is a diagnosis. And Sunday night in Houston, the Lakers didn’t have the cure. LeBron James and Head Coach JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers high five during the game against the Houston Rockets during Round One Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
(Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images Their 115-96 loss to the Rockets in Game 4 wasn’t just about missed shots or sloppy turnovers. The reality is that it was about an older team staring down the cost of everything that preceded them to get there. Less than 48 hours earlier, the Lakers emptied the tanks in their shocking 112-108 overtime victory that felt like a series-ending haymaker.
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