Anthony Davis hit two clutch free throws in overtime on 25 April to lift the Los Angeles Lakers past Houston 118–116, putting them one win from a first-round sweep.
Anthony Davis gathered himself at the foul line with 4.3 seconds left in overtime on 25 April 2026, a packed Toyota Center in Houston dead silent after Alperen Şengün had tied the game with a runner 11 seconds earlier. Davis sank both free throws. The Los Angeles Lakers won 118–116, taking a 3–0 series lead over the Houston Rockets — and moving within one victory of the earliest first-round sweep in Lakers postseason history this decade.
The 2026 NBA Playoffs have produced several sharp first-round narratives: the Orlando Magic leading the Detroit Pistons 2–1 in a series framed as a rebuild coming-of-age test; the New York Knicks battling the defending champion Boston Celtics in a Game 3 decided by a Jalen Brunson three-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining; the Utah Jazz, who entered the year as a projected lottery team, defeating the Denver Nuggets in consecutive games to force a series they were not supposed to contest. But the Lakers-Rockets matchup has drawn the widest attention. Los Angeles entered as a 3.5-game favourite, seeded fourth in the West. Houston, seeded fifth, is led by Şengün's 27.4 points and 12.1 rebounds per game — figures that placed him in the conversation for first-team All-NBA this spring.
NBA Playoffs 2026 · Los Angeles Lakers · Houston Rockets
Games 1 and 2, both played in Los Angeles, were decided by a combined 11 points. Game 3 came to overtime because LeBron James, operating in his 22nd professional season at age 41, picked up his fourth foul with 6 minutes left in the third quarter and sat for nearly seven minutes — a stretch the Rockets turned into a 12–3 run. James re-entered with the Lakers trailing by 4 points. He scored 9 of his 31 points in the final three minutes of regulation, finishing the overtime with 31 points and 11 assists.
“Games 1 and 2, both played in Los Angeles, were decided by a combined 11 points.”
Austin Reaves added 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting. He was instrumental in a 16–4 Lakers run that erased a 9-point second-quarter deficit before halftime. Şengün's 33 points kept Houston in contention — he is the highest-scoring player on any losing team in the 2026 first round — and Jalen Green contributed 21. But Houston's bench combined for 14 points, and coach Ime Udoka did not spare the assessment afterward. "We can't give them that run in the second quarter and expect to win games at this level," Udoka told reporters at Toyota Center on 25 April 2026. "When Alperen is doing everything and we're getting nothing from the second unit, the math doesn't work."
Key Takeaways
→NBA Playoffs 2026: Game 4 is scheduled for 26 April 2026 at Toyota Center in Houston, tipping off at 3:30 PM Eastern on ABC.
→Los Angeles Lakers: Game 4 is scheduled for 26 April 2026 at Toyota Center in Houston, tipping off at 3:30 PM Eastern on ABC.
→Houston Rockets: Game 4 is scheduled for 26 April 2026 at Toyota Center in Houston, tipping off at 3:30 PM Eastern on ABC.
→LeBron James: Game 4 is scheduled for 26 April 2026 at Toyota Center in Houston, tipping off at 3:30 PM Eastern on ABC.
Any projection of a sweep discounts how quickly playoff basketball reverses. The Rockets won two of three regular-season matchups against the Lakers in 2025–26, including a 22-point victory at Crypto.com Arena in January 2026. Şengün has scored 30 or more points in back-to-back games — a feat no opponent has managed against the Lakers this postseason. Game 4, set for 26 April at Toyota Center, is Houston's last chance to extend the series on home court, in front of a crowd that has been among the loudest in the NBA this postseason.
NBA Playoffs 2026 · Los Angeles Lakers · Houston Rockets
The Lakers' position in this series reflects a deliberate roster rebuild. Los Angeles moved two first-round picks to acquire veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith from Brooklyn at the 2024–25 trade deadline, explicitly maximising the remaining competitive window with James and Davis. Both are performing better than at any point in the last three seasons, according to ESPN's Real Plus-Minus metric — James at +3.7, Davis at +5.1. Whether that recapture of form sustains through a second round — likely against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, who hold a 2–1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors — is the question that defines the Lakers' 2025–26 season.
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Game 4 tips off at 3:30 PM Eastern on 26 April 2026 on ABC. A Lakers win advances them to the Western Conference Semifinals, where they would await the Thunder-Warriors winner.
Game 4 is scheduled for 26 April 2026 at Toyota Center in Houston, tipping off at 3:30 PM Eastern on ABC. The Lakers lead the first-round series 3–0 after their 118–116 overtime win on 25 April.
Who is leading the Lakers in scoring in the 2026 first-round series?
LeBron James leads the Lakers with 28.7 points per game through three games, including 31 points in the Game 3 overtime win on 25 April 2026. Anthony Davis is averaging 24.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.
What is Alperen Şengün averaging in the 2026 playoffs?
Şengün is averaging 30.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists through three games — among the highest-scoring performances by a losing team in first-round play this postseason. He scored 33 points in the Game 3 overtime loss.
Who would the Lakers face in round two if they sweep Houston?
The Lakers would face the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors series. The Thunder, the Western Conference's top seed, lead that series 2–1 as of 26 April 2026.
