Lakers advance to second round, defeat Rockets in six games
The Los Angeles Lakers blow out the Houston Rockets, 99-78, to eliminate them in six games without Luka Doncic to advance to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23) reacts after a missed shot against the Houston Rockets during the fourth quarter of game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. HOUSTON — The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t leave anything to chance in Game 6. With a dominant first half and a wire-to-wire effort, L.
A. rolled past the Houston Rockets 98–78 on Friday to close out the series 4–2 and advance to the second round, where they’ll face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. From the second quarter on, the Lakers were in full control.
After a steady opening frame that saw Houston come out with more energy behind a loud home crowd at Toyota Center, the Lakers faced their first obstacle of the night, trailing 16–11. How did they respond? It was the last time they faced a deficit.
Riding the ageless force of 41-year-old LeBron James, who finished with a game-high 28 points to go along with eight assists and seven rebounds, the Lakers flipped the game quickly. James scored 14 points in the second quarter — one more than the Rockets’ entire output in the period — pushing L. A.