Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers
· West 1st Round - Game 2Los Angeles hosts Houston with 1-0 series lead
Houston Rockets (52-30, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (53-29, fourth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Tuesday, 10:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Rockets -4.5; over/under is 205.5
WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Lakers lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Lakers host the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference first round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Lakers won the last meeting 107-98 on Sunday, led by 27 points from Luke Kennard. Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 19.
The Lakers are 33-19 in conference play. Los Angeles has an 8-3 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Rockets are 29-23 against Western Conference opponents. Houston ranks second in the Western Conference allowing only 110.0 points while holding opponents to 46.0% shooting.
The Lakers' 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.6 fewer made shots on average than the 12.4 per game the Rockets allow. The Rockets are shooting 47.9% from the field, 0.4% lower than the 48.3% the Lakers' opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Deandre Ayton is averaging 12.5 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers. LeBron James is averaging 18.3 points over the last 10 games.
Kevin Durant is averaging 26 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the Rockets. Amen Thompson is averaging 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.9 steals over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 7-3, averaging 113.2 points, 41.0 rebounds, 28.5 assists, 9.6 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 53.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.0 points per game.
Rockets: 8-2, averaging 121.5 points, 47.8 rebounds, 28.1 assists, 8.1 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.2 points.
INJURIES
: Lakers: Austin Reaves: out (rib), Luka Doncic: out (hamstring).Rockets: Kevin Durant: day to day (knee), Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).
Regular Season Series
LAL win series 2-1
Matchup Prediction
Statistics
HOU |
LAL |
|
|---|---|---|
| L1 | Streak | W1 |
| 107.0 | Points Against | 98.0 |
| 0-1 | Last Ten Games | 1-0 |
| 115.2 | Points Per Game | 116.3 |
| 48 | Field Goal % | 50 |
| 36 | Three Point % | 36 |
| 48.1 | Rebounds Per Game | 41.0 |
| 25.4 | Assists Per Game | 25.9 |
| 5.8 | Blocks Per Game | 4.3 |
| 8.5 | Steals Per Game | 8.5 |
| 1.0 | Team Turnovers Per Game | 0.7 |
| 15.4 | Total Turnovers Per Game | 14.5 |
Los Angeles Lakers Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Reaves, G | Out | Apr 20 |
| Luka Doncic, G | Out | Apr 20 |
Houston Rockets Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Durant, F | Out | Apr 20 |
| Steven Adams, C | Out | Jan 28 |
| Fred VanVleet, G | Out | Sep 22 |
Game Information
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Capacity:
2025-26 Southwest Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
San Antonio |
62 | 20 | .756 | - | L1 |
Houston |
52 | 30 | .634 | 10 | W1 |
New Orleans |
26 | 56 | .317 | 36 | L2 |
Dallas |
26 | 56 | .317 | 36 | W1 |
Memphis |
25 | 57 | .305 | 37 | L8 |
2025-26 Pacific Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LA Lakers |
53 | 29 | .646 | - | W3 |
Phoenix |
45 | 37 | .549 | 8 | W1 |
LA Clippers |
42 | 40 | .512 | 11 | W1 |
Golden State |
37 | 45 | .451 | 16 | L3 |
Sacramento |
22 | 60 | .268 | 31 | L1 |
NBA News
Why Lakers' shooting records in Game 1 could be good news for Rockets
ESPN analyst Zach Kram examines how Game 1's shotmaking gap could actually be good news for Houston in its first-round series versus Los Angeles.
What to make of Victor Wembanyama's unbelievable Game 1 performance
Wembanyama will always be linked to Duncan and Robinson, but after Sunday night's dominant Game 1, it was another generational star to whom he was being compared: LeBron James.
Thunder take 1-0 lead into game 2 against the Suns
Phoenix Suns (45-37, seventh in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference)
Orlando visits Detroit with 1-0 series lead
Orlando Magic (45-37, eighth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Detroit Pistons (60-22, first in the Eastern Conference)
Shumpert on Wemby's DPOY award: 'He's changing basketball'
Iman Shumpert explains how Victor Wembanyama has changed the NBA on both sides of the floor.


HOU
LAL
PHX
PHI
MIN
MEM
OKC
GS
UTAH
San Antonio
New Orleans
Dallas
LA Clippers
Sacramento