The Los Angeles Lakers now hold a commanding 2-0 lead over the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, following a gritty 101–94 victory on Tuesday night at home.
Despite missing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the underdog Lakers have defeated the Rockets, which just got Kevin Durant back from a knee injury. While the Lakers are missing their two best scorers, LeBron James and Lakers’ productive bench have made the series look like a mismatch.
In Game 1, Luke Kennard filled the void with a playoff career-high 27 points, while LeBron added 19 points and 13 assists. Game 2 was expected to be harder with Durant returning for his first playoff matchup against James since 2018.
But King James showed his greatness again. He finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, while Kennard stayed hot with another 23 points outing. After the final buzzer, Smart was asked about James’ performance and he didn't overthink his answer.
"Greatness," Smart said. "His IQ of the game. There are times where things get out of control and he's still calm. We appreciate him."
Smart led the Lakers with 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting, adding seven assists and two rebounds. His defensive presence was also on point, as he recorded five steals. Smart has taken on a much larger scoring role with Doncic and Reaves out, and he is delivering the best way possible.
Earlier in the postgame, he also credited the team’s depth, saying,"We continue to elevate each other. We understand that we are down [Luka and AR], but we got other players on this bench and other guys that can play".
On the other side, Durant's playoff slump continues. With this latest loss, he hasn't won a postseason game since 2023, bringing his losing streak to seven games.
However, Doncic is back to light drills, but he won't be ready for Game 3, which starts Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET on Prime Video. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers don’t expect him to return at all during this series, especially since the team is playing well under James. Even if Doncic does return sooner than expected, he would likely be on a minutes restriction.
