For second straight year, Houston’s playoff offense fails to launch

In May 2025, clear limitations with halfcourt offense defined Houston’s elimination loss, at home, to end its first-round playoff series versus Golden State. Almost one year later to the day, the Rockets found a nearly identical fate in Friday’s 98-78 home loss ( box score ) to the Lakers. In winning Game 6 at Toyota Center, Los Angeles clinched the best-of-seven series, 4-2, to advance to the second round of the 2026 playoffs.

Meanwhile, for a second straight year, Houston’s season is ending late in the first round. In this case, the result was even worse, comparatively. The 2026 Rockets scored 11 fewer points for the game, relative to that 2025 series-ending loss to the Warriors, and 20 of Friday’s 78 came in the final minutes of a blowout — after the Lakers had taken an 81-58 lead with only seven minutes left to play.

The Rockets scored just 31 points in the first half, and 14 came in the game’s opening six minutes. Led by LeBron James (28 points, 8 assists), the Lakers went on an extended 27-3 run midway through the half to grab firm control. Houston shot just 5-of-28 from 3-point range (17.

9%) for the game, and two of the five makes came in the closing minutes — after the game was long decided. A third came in the game’s opening seconds. “Kudos to JJ (Redick),” Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr.