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After missing the end of the regular season and the start of the postseason, Austin Reaves made his playoff debut for the Lakers in Game 5. He received a loud ovation from Lakers fans and played like he didn’t miss a beat. Reaves was back, knocking down shots, drawing fouls and injecting the team with […]
LOS ANGELES — Not only have brooms been shoved back into closets, but another flight to Houston has also been booked. After being listed as a game-time decision for three straight matchups, Austin Reaves returned for the Lakers in Game 5 on Wednesday while superstar Kevin Durant remained out, putting Alperen Şengün at the top […]
Change is coming to the Lakers’ G League team. The South Bay Lakers will become the Coachella Valley Lakers in 2026 as they move their games to Acrisure Arena. The Lakers have had their G League team playing in South Bay since 2017, and before that, in 2006, they played at Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples […]
LOS ANGELES — Entering Game 5, the Lakers were still comfortably in the driver’s seat against the Rockets. Now, the car is slowing down, making a funny sound and the hazard lights are on. Houston took Game 5 in Crypto.com Arena and, suddenly, a matchup that was one game away from a sweep is just […]
“You have to kill them.” This was JJ Redick’s response when asked about the challenges of closing out a team in a playoff series. His team experienced it firsthand when the Houston Rockets staved off elimination in Game 4. Then, with a chance to deliver the death blow in front of their home crowd, the […]
Allow me to contradict myself from something I said earlier in this series, but what an underwhelming crowd that was for a closeout game. In the opening two games, the Lakers faithful were awesome and had a huge hand in the purple and gold jumping out to an early lead in the series. But on […]
For the second year running, the Lakers will enter the playoffs with home court advantage. Unfortunately, the odds of this series playing out better than the last remain low. The Rockets await the Lakers this postseason, but the LA side they will meet is a much different one than the one they played during the […]
A largely lifeless offensive performance from the Lakers saw the Rockets take a second consecutive win in the series in Game 5 on Wednesday, 99-93. The purple and gold still lead the series 3-2. While Austin Reaves returned for the contest and eclipsed 20 points, few other Lakers showed up as offense was hard to […]
You can never doubt Austin Reaves’ heart. After an initial recovery timeline that would have him out 4-6 weeks, Reaves returned to the court last week and will return to the lineup just under a month after suffering his injury, joining the Lakers for Game 5 against the Rockets on Wednesday. As has been the […]
As the Lakers focus on a critical Game 5 against the Rockets on the court, the team is also preparing for important moves off the court as well. One of the bigger changes expected under the new ownership of Mark Walter is an expansion of the front office. President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka confirmed […]
Back in 2021, the Lakers were deep into their title defense when LeBron James suffered an injury that changed the trajectory of not just that season, but the career of their superstar. Los Angeles was hosting Atlanta when Solomon Hill dove headfirst at LeBron’s legs. Every Lakers fan likely remembers what happened next as LeBron […]
While Austin Reaves is nearing a return, the same can’t be said for Luka Dončić. He has been out since Apr. 2 with a hamstring strain and despite a trip to Spain to speed up his recovery, he has yet to do significant on-court work. The Lakers have figured out how to win games without […]
UPDATE: While it’s a game of semantics, it sounds more and more encouraging that Austin Reaves will make his return in Game 5. On Wednesday morning, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Reaves expects to play. Here’s his full report on Reaves: “My understanding is Austin Reaves expects to play tonight in Game 5 against […]
The series between the Lakers and Rockets shifts back to LA for Game 5 on Wednesday. The Lakers will once again look to eliminate Houston from the playoffs. Start time and TV schedule Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets When: 7 p.m. PT, Apr. 29 Where: Crypto.com Arena Watch: ESPN The Lakers suffered their first postseason loss […]
With both teams suffering a slew of injuries to key players, this Lakers-Rockets series hasn’t exactly been beautiful basketball. All of the games have featured offensive struggles and the winning team having to grit and grind their way to victory. The Lakers have been the better team under these conditions and won the first three […]
If Lakers fans have felt anxious and hopeful about Austin Reaves returning, they can rest assured that he is right there with them. Reaves has been out with a Grade 2 oblique strain since Apr. 2, and it was considered unlikely that he would play in the opening round of the playoffs. However, the Rockets […]
After a remarkably bad showing from the officials in Sunday’s Game 4, punishments have been handed out… ….to the Lakers. Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard were handed fines of $35,000 and $25,000, respectively, for separate issues involving the officials. Smart’s fine came for “questioning the integrity of game officials,” while Kennard’s was “for directing inappropriate […]
In the week leading up to their series against the Rockets, the Lakers repeatedly emphasized the importance of taking care of the ball. Despite being up 3-1 in the series, there have been very few moments where it’s felt like the Lakers have taken that message to heart. With 80 turnovers in the four contests, […]
On a night where there were some ridiculous refereeing decisions, perhaps the most inexplicable in Game 4 between the Lakers and Rockets came at the end of the game. Late in garbage time, Adou Thiero and Aaron Holiday had a minor scuffle that should have resulted in nothing notable. Instead, James Williams instantly ejected both […]
On the brink of advancing to the second round and pulling out a sweep for the first time since 2010, the Lakers fell to the Rockets in Game 4. With Kevin Durant out once again, it set the stage for a young and athletic Houston squad to play with a sense of urgency and desperation. […]
Ejections for Flagrant 2 fouls typically are pretty egregious and easy to understand. By definition, they involve excessive force, which rarely leaves doubt about an ejection. And yet, when Deandre Ayton was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul on Alperen Şengün during the third quarter of Game 4, which the Lakers were already losing handily […]
There was lots to dislike about the Lakers’ performance in Game 4. The offense looked stuck in mud. There was an alarming amount of turnovers and nearly all of them were live ball, which ruined any chance of a win. That will be discussed in the coming days on this site. But I’d like to […]
You can’t fake desperation. The Rockets fought hard in Game 3, but lost and were down 3-0 entering Game 4. With their season on the line, Houston decided they’d rather head back to LA instead of clearing out their lockers as they demolished the Lakers, 115-96. The Rockets got offensive contributions from their top players […]
On the heels of a grueling Game 3 win, the Lakers came out flat and were subsequently routed by the Rockets, 115-96. From the jump, it was pretty clear the Lakers didn’t have the right level of effort and played as such throughout. LA turned the ball over a staggering 23 times with the Rockets […]
This Lakers-Rockets series hasn’t featured pretty basketball. The Lakers have played without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, and the Rockets have had two games without Kevin Durant. With so many key stars out, scoring has been ugly and each contest has been a grind. In that muck, the Lakers have been the better team. They’ve […]