The Los Angeles Lakers put an end to Houston’s playoff run on Friday night, defeating the Rockets 98-78 in Game 6 to capture their Western Conference first-round series with a 4-2 victory.
LeBron James dominated the opening half, netting 18 of his game-high 28 points as Los Angeles built a commanding early advantage on the road. The veteran superstar also contributed seven rebounds and eight assists in the decisive win.
With the series victory secured, the Lakers will now advance to the Western Conference semifinals where they’ll face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. Game 1 of that matchup is scheduled for Tuesday in Oklahoma City.
Rui Hachimura provided crucial support for Los Angeles, contributing 21 points while connecting on an impressive 5-of-7 attempts from beyond the three-point line. Austin Reaves, making his first start of the series, chipped in 15 points for the Lakers.
Los Angeles cleaned up a major weakness that had plagued them throughout the series, turning the ball over just 11 times while holding Houston to a poor 35% shooting performance. The Rockets struggled mightily from long range, making only 5 of 28 three-point attempts for a dismal 17.9% success rate.
Alperen Sengun led Houston’s effort with 17 points and 11 rebounds, but the Rockets played their fifth game of the series without top scorer Kevin Durant.
In other playoff action, RJ Barrett delivered a clutch three-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime to lift Toronto over Cleveland 112-110, forcing a decisive Game 7. Barrett’s shot bounced high off the rim before dropping through the net. Scottie Barnes recorded 25 points and 14 assists for the Raptors, while Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter each added 24 points.
Cleveland got 26 points and 14 rebounds from Evan Mobley, with Donovan Mitchell contributing 24 points. James Harden nearly recorded a triple-double with 16 points, nine assists and nine rebounds. The deciding game will take place Sunday in Cleveland.
Meanwhile, Detroit staged a remarkable comeback from a 24-point deficit to shock Orlando 93-79 and force Game 7 of their Eastern Conference series. Cade Cunningham paced the Pistons with 32 points as Detroit outscored the Magic 55-19 in the second half.
The top-seeded Pistons opened the final quarter with an 18-1 surge to take control after trailing by 22 points at halftime. Orlando endured a brutal cold streak, missing 23 straight field goal attempts over a 15-minute span in the second half. Desmond Bane and Paolo Banchero each scored 17 points for the Magic, who managed just 12 points in the first 19 minutes of the second half.
