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. And just like that, LA’s broom is put back in the closet.
The Rockets ramped up the physicality without a let-up, forcing the Lakers to figuratively and literally give the game away with 23 turnovers that led to 30 points.
The Rockets used a 34-18 third quarter to lead by as much as 28 against the reeling purple and gold, who had just one day off between the overtime win and Sunday’s matchup.
After the final buzzer, a minor scuffle broke out between the two squads. Thankfully, it was only words exchanged, but we’ve undoubtedly reached the point of extreme annoyance. Playing the same team this many times creates tension with familiarity. Pet plays and actions not run with precision are scouted out miles in advance.
Without Austin Reaves, who was also ruled out before game time, LeBron James remained the offense’s orbit. He came off playing 45 grueling minutes in Game 3, a ton of energy expenditure for anyone, let alone a 41-year-old.
The turnovers started early in the first quarter as the Lakers looked to hunt Reed Sheppard, as they’ve done in all games. LeBron looks for a hit-ahead pass in the clip below. Sheppard sees it coming and easily jumps it for the turnover.
Then, early in the second quarter, LeBron attempts to dribble through two defenders and gets stripped, leading to a dunk on the other end.
“We did a good job in the second quarter of cutting into the lead, and then we had a few turnovers, which was our kryptonite tonight,” LeBron said postgame. “Obviously, we know coming into the series we have to protect the ball against them, and not have too many pick-sixes, which we did all night and it started with me. Obviously, my turnovers were unacceptable, but we’ll do a better job on that on Wednesday.”
Among the Lakers’ 23 miscues, eight came from their lone healthy superstar. While it was honorable that he took on the blame, he wasn’t alone. Marcus Smart had three turnovers in the first quarter, telegraphing his passes like the lob below to Deandre Ayton.
Luke Kennard, after two explosive scoring outputs in Games 1 and 2, has clearly shot up the scouting report for Houston. No longer is he allowed to roam free above the arc and, instead, he’s given heavy attention even on closeout attacks.
Watch below as he attempts to get to his patented efficient mid-range, but Eason hounds him, forcing a mid-air pass that’s deflected into another run out below.
After a monster start to the series, the two unsung heroes Smart and Kennard combined for just 16 points, seven assists and six turnovers in Game 4. It’s a sign of possibly coming back to Earth for guards who stepped up in production and usage in their star back court’s absence.
With Reaves being a game-time decision in back-to-back games before being downgraded to out, the Lakers would get major reinforcements if he were able to return in Game 5.
He adds a multi-dimensional player on offense, with season averages of 23.3 points and 5.5 assists in the regular season, giving the team a much-needed downhill force against ball pressure that’s starting to wear on the available ball handlers.
With the chance to close it out at home and not have to fly back to Houston for Game 6, the Lakers may not just welcome Reaves back but need him to close out against a feisty Rockets team hungry to keep their season alive.
You can follow Raj on X at @RajChipalu
