While a seven-game series is all about the first to four, not the first to one, there is added pressure on the Lakers to come out victorious in Game 1.
Not only are they trying to protect home court, but they are undermanned, playing without Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić for the immediate future.
Many NBA experts don’t give them a chance to win this series. Game 1 will be a great opportunity not only to prove those critics wrong but also to start the series against Houston up 1-0.
“Tremendously important
for us,” Smart said after Tuesday’s practice. “We know we got a team that’s going to come in and try to set the rules, right. Especially first game, you want to set the tone for the whole series, let them know this is how it’s going to be.
“Not only that, it just sets the tone in general so the refs can understand, ‘This is how we’re going to play. This is how we’re going to do it. Let us play.’ It’s very important for us because they are very aggressive and they do a really good job of setting the tone and we’re going to have to do a good job matching that energy if not going above it.”
In the NBA, the team that wins Game 1 wins the series 77.8% of the time. So, yes, winning the first game as the home team would be ideal for Los Angeles. It would not only get them started on the right track, but also give them the confidence that they can win despite the guards they are missing.
“I think it’s important that we have the right spirit and we have a belief,” Redick said. “Certainly winning Game 1 can help with that, but I’m confident. Our group is in this to fight until we win the series.”
During this week of practice, Redick has stressed that the right spirit is rebounding the ball and limiting turnovers. LA has struggled to keep Houston off the glass even in wins this year, and if they can beat them on the boards on Saturday night, the odds of a victory will be good.
After Wednesday’s practice, Rui Hachimura echoed the sentiments of Redick and Smart on how much winning Game 1 matters.
“We got home court advantage and we gotta get the first one,” Hachimura said. I’ve been to a couple of playoffs, and the first game is really important.”
The Lakers seem to all be on the same page regarding the importance of Game 1.
They’ll have a few more days to work on their game plan before attempting to execute it on Saturday. Hopefully, a week of rest and practice gives them the energy and preparedness to accomplish their first task. Because it may be the first to four that wins, but that path begins with earning the first victory.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
