PREVIEW – Game 6: Lakers vs Houston Rockets
After going up 3-0 vs the Houston Rockets, the Lakers missed their last two chances to close out the series in Games 4 and 5.
The Lakers take on the Rockets in Houston for Game 6, looking to avoid a potential Game 7 in Los Angeles.
This first-round series between the Lakers and the Rockets has been unconventional to say the least. The Lakers came into the series as heavy underdogs, understandably so. Without Luka Doncic and without Austin Reaves for the first 4 games, the Lakers weren’t given any real serious consideration to be in a position to win the series.
Then, Kevin Durant obtained a bone bruise injury right before Game 1, completely changing the landscape of the series. He plays Game 2 and then sustains an ankle injury in the 4th quarter, effectively ruling him out of the series.
The Rockets, after falling 3-0, have newfound momentum heading into tonight’s matchup.
A Game 6 Lakers victory would secure them a 2nd-round matchup with the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder, their first playoff series win since defeating the Golden State Warriors in the semifinals in 2023.
Return of Austin Reaves
Austin Reaves made his return in Game 5 and played 34 minutes off the bench. His shot wasn’t there quite yet, shooting only 4 of 16 from the field and 2 of 8 from three. He went 12 of 13 from the free throw line to total 22 points, which went along with 6 assists and 4 rebounds.
The Lakers will need him to produce at a high level if they want to win this series.
Keys for Game 6
Turnovers
The biggest issue facing the Lakers this series has been the turnovers. They had 15 turnovers in Game 5 and 23 in Game 4. Houston’s been taking advantage of their extra possessions that have come in the form of offensive rebounds and Laker turnovers.
L.A. needs to address these missteps and have some sense of control on the offensive end. Marcus Smart had 6 turnovers in Game 5; LeBron had 8 turnovers each in Games 3 and 4.
DeAndre Ayton
Another key will, once again, have to center on DeAndre Ayton. Ayton had 10 incredible offensive rebounds and 17 rebounds in total in Game 5. He had 18 points on 9 of 15 from the field—a huge game from him and probably his best outing as a Laker.
Three-Point Shooting
What’s helped the Lakers win games this series has been their ability to knock down the three-ball. They were outmatched from distance in Game 5, where the Rockets made 14 three pointers to the Lakers’ 7.
In Game 4, the Rockets made 12 compared to the Lakers’ 5.
Rebounding
A surprising development in these losses is that the Lakers have actually outrebounded the Rockets in both games. They’ll have to continue winning the rebounding battle and limit 2nd chances for Houston.
The Lakers will have their 3rd chance to close out the series tonight at 6:30 pm PST at the Toyota Center.
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Categorized:Lakers