LeBron James Leads Lakers To Playoff Semifinals As He Celebrates Small Victories

LeBron James is enjoying a rare chance to pause after guiding the Los Angeles Lakers past the Houston Rockets and deeper into the NBA playoffs. James scored 28 points, with seven rebounds and eight assists, in a 98-78 Game 6 win that sealed the Western Conference first-round series and sent the Lakers back to the conference semifinals.

During this series, James set another personal milestone. The Los Angeles Lakers star became the oldest player in NBA history to lead all scorers in a playoff series for total points, finishing with 139. Reflecting on that achievement, James told ESPN: "It's not my style at all, James told ESPN. I think me personally, the accepting and trying to be OK with the small victories comes with where I am in my career.

Understanding, s***, who knows how many more playoff series I'm going to be a part of? If I play one more, or two more, or three more seasons, that doesn't guarantee me to be in the postseason. So just trying to appreciate the moments, whatever they are, and however long I'm playing. It's pretty cool to have the opportunity to lead a team, at 41 years old, into the playoffs and for us to be able to win it. "

Game 6 underlined how well the Los Angeles Lakers defended throughout the NBA playoffs matchup with the Houston Rockets. Houston was held to a season-low 78 points, even though Amen Thompson scored 18 and Alperen Sengun added 17. The Lakers combined strong half-court defence with effective rebounding to close the series on home court and limit Houston’s usually high-paced attack.

Celebrating the series-clinching win pic.twitter.com/E8BZsnB6xeLos Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 2, 2026

The Los Angeles Lakers have also had to adjust their rotation during these NBA playoffs, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves both unavailable through injury after key roles in the regular season. James explained how the team’s approach changed in March and how that carried into the Houston Rockets series, telling ESPN: "I mean, to be able to experience something [new], it was just totally different for me, James told ESPN. In March, it was a totally different role for me. It was super uncomfortable, but comfortable. I had to get into that. But it was also winning. That's all I care about. But I knew at the same time I could give more. But maybe giving more wasn't what was a fit for our team. And I accepted that, and I was OK with that. Not from a team aspect, I was OK with that. I was able to put my ego to the side for the betterment of the team, understanding that I could do it. "

The series victory over the Houston Rockets sets up a conference semifinal meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder, extending the Los Angeles Lakers’ NBA playoffs run for the first time since 2023, when they lost to the Denver Nuggets. Head coach JJ Redick praised the response from the locker room, saying: "For us to be written off a few weeks ago and to win a playoff series is a big deal, Redick said. And it just speaks to the character of our team and the leaders of our team. They didn't let go of the rope. "

The Los Angeles Lakers now head into the NBA playoffs matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder encouraged by their defence against the Houston Rockets and by James’s continued influence at 41. The group has already gone further than many expected, and James’s focus on valuing each opportunity shapes the mood as the next round approaches.