Lakers dominate Game 6, shut the door to set up Thunder showdown

After wasting two chances to close out their first-round series against the Houston Rockets earlier this week, the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t waste another on Friday.

Behind 28 points from LeBron James and 21 from Rui Hachimura, the No. 4-seeded Lakers defeated the No. 5-seeded Rockets 98-78 in Game 6 at Toyota Center to clinch the series. It marks the first playoff series win since 2023 and sends them into a second-round matchup with the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.

With the Rockets again without Kevin Durant, the Lakers were never in trouble, and they never trailed after the first eight minutes. James made a running layup four minutes into the second quarter for a 19-point lead, 38-19, the Lakers’ largest of the first half. The Lakers went up by as many as 25 in the third quarter.

Hachimura, who averaged 11.5 points in the regular season, exceeded 20 points for the second time in this series. Austin Reaves, in his second game of the postseason, was 7-of-14 shooting from the field and scored 15 points. The Rockets’ Amen Thompson scored 18 points and Alperen Şengün had 17.

Here are some key takeaways from Houston in Game 6:

LeBron in control

Not too high, not too low. LeBron James stayed in his spot on the end of the Lakers bench, staring blankly at the court. The crowd roared before the opening tip, Houston Rockets fans riding the momentum of the past two games. But with 23 years of experience, more games and more minutes than anyone, James knew that playoff momentum is fleeting — and something he could snatch back.

Behind a smothering defensive stretch, James delivered his most impactful stretch of the series, scoring 14 points in the second quarter. The Rockets, as a team, managed 13 in those same 12 minutes. Earlier in the series, coach JJ Redick said he knew it would be difficult to “kill” the Rockets.

On Friday, the Lakers made sure there would be no resurrecting their season for a seventh game. — Dan Woike, Lakers writer

A complete performance

For four games in a row, the Rockets improved their performance against the Lakers. Unfortunately for the Rockets, they only got two wins out of those improvements. And while the Rockets were confident that youth, momentum and a home-court advantage would bolster them in Game 6, the Lakers chose to prioritize rest, recovery, film and a regression to the mean.

Simply put, the Lakers were due for a complete performance. In Game 6, they finally delivered one — and eliminated the Rockets.

Austin Reaves started, as was hinted when Reaves replaced Luke Kennard to open the second half in his return game Wednesday. He bounced back from a 25 percent shooting night by going 7 of 14, even while missing all four 3s. The on-off numbers told a bigger story: the Lakers were only plus-3 in Reaves’ 30 minutes, but plus-23 with him off the floor prior to the Lakers third string entering the game.

The Lakers built their first 20-point lead of the series and, for the first time in the series, won the “middle eight,” minutes. When Houston went nearly 10 minutes without a field goal, the Lakers flipped a five-point deficit into a 19-point lead — a 24-point turnaround that effectively decided the game.

Sure the Rockets shot poorly. But the Lakers made it matter — taking care of the ball and limiting second chances by keeping Houston off the offensive glass.

Now, thanks to a Pistons comeback and a miraculous rim bounce by RJ Barrett in Toronto, the Lakers get three days off before Game 1 of the semifinals in Oklahoma City. — Law Murray, NBA writer 

Failure to launch

In the most important game of their season, the Rockets’ offense failed in spectacular fashion.

Houston turned in its lowest-scoring output of the year and some of their most important players came up short as the Lakers increased their pressure. The Rockets shot just 35 percent from the floor and 5-of-28 from beyond the arc. Reed Sheppard was 4 of 19 from the floor.

As the Rockets approach a crucial offseason, fixing the offense has to be the top priority for the front office, even with Durant’s absence in the playoffs. This group entered the season with championship expectations, but their season ends once again with an underwhelming first-round exit. — Will Guillory, Rockets writer