The Los Angeles Lakers now hold a 2-0 first-round lead over the Houston Rockets after securing a 101-94 victory in Game 2 on Tuesday.
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Kevin Durant and the Rockets got out in front early and had a small lead for most of the opening quarter until a 15-0 extended run gave the Lakers the lead early in the second.
As the second quarter rolled on, the Lakers took advantage of their fastbreak offense and jumped out to a 15-point lead. In the final minutes of the first half, Durant led the Rockets to a 14-0 run to make it a three-point game at halftime.
The third quarter was a low-scoring battle of defense and grittiness. The Lakers haven’t been a top-tier three-point shooting team this season, but that’s where they carved out the advantage on Tuesday.
After three quarters, Los Angeles was ahead by seven. The Lakers maintained their lead for the first half of the final quarter. The Rockets went on a quick 5-0 run before LeBron James got downhill for a strong finish.
Despite a 20-point first-half, Durant was ice cold in the last two quarters. In clutch time, the Lakers remained ahead before Tari Eason cut the lead to five with two minutes to go.
With less than a minute to go, James threw down a dunk before Alperen Sengun responded with a layup on the other end. The Lakers took a timeout before Rui Hachimura missed a three. The ensuing rebound went off the hands off Durant and Luke Kennard drew a foul after the inbound pass.
He sank both free throws to seal the victory.
James was the game’s leading scorer with 28 points as well as eight rebounds and seven assists. Marcus Smart also contributed with 25 points, seven assists and five steals.
Durant’s night quickly turned ugly after a 20-point first half. He finished the game with 23 points and six rebounds while giving up nine turnovers.
James Parker contributed to this story.
