Despite missing several superstars, the Los Angeles Lakers opened the 2026 NBA Playoffs with an impressive 107-98 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night. LeBron James, 41, dominated the floor, recording 19 points, 13 assists and 8 rebounds.
In doing so, he became the oldest player in NBA history to record 10 or more assists in a playoff game.
With key starters out, Luke Kennard stepped up significantly, scoring a career play-off high 27 points and shooting a perfect 5-0-5 from three-point range. The Lakers were forced to play without Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Maxi Kleber.
However, the Rockets suffered a major blow before tip-off when star forward Kevin Durant was ruled out with a right knee injury sustained during practice.
“It’s just our playoff mentality,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.
“You can’t worry about who’s in or out of the line-up. That’s our gameplan. That’s our standards. That’s how we play, and that’s what we’ve worked towards.
“I thought our players responded well and faced that moment. That’s the biggest thing. You have to face that moment in every game, and we were able to do that.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks all won on opening day. The Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic officially booked their playoff spots after surviving the play-in tournament.
On the other hand, defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder is scheduled to begin its title defense against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.
The Lakers now lead 1-0 in the best-of-seven series, with Game 2 scheduled for Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
