The Los Angeles Lakers held off the Houston Rockets in overtime on Friday to secure a 112-108 victory and take a 3-0 series lead.
The opening quarter was by far the most efficient quarter for both teams. The Rockets were without Kevin Durant, who was ruled out with a sprained ankle, but they managed to put up 32 points in the first 12 minutes.
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The Lakers were even hotter to start the game, though. LeBron James and the Lakers put up 39 points in the same period.
The second quarter was a very different story. Turnovers haunted the Lakers while the Rockets went cold from beyond the arc. After a low scoring second frame, the Lakers remained ahead by 11.
Houston continued to struggle on the offensive end in the third, but not as badly as the Lakers. Los Angeles shot just 6-of-16 from the field while scoring 17 points in the period.
The scoring drought only worsened for the Lakers in the fourth quarter, they struggled to even put shots up as the turnovers mounted. The Rockets still battled their own offensive struggles, but still managed to completely erase the deficit.
Houston made some huge plays in clutch time and took a two-point lead with less than three minutes to go.
Both sides threw down huge dunks as the clock dwindled. Jaxson Hayes got two blocks down the stretch before James turned it over with under a minute to play. Sengun capitalized on this with a layup to go up by four with 49 seconds to go.
James turned it over once again on the ensuing play before Sengun threw down a fastbreak dunk. But Marcus Smart knocked down three free throws before the Lakers forced a turnover and James tied it with a clutch three.
Sengun missed the potential game-winner before James called a timeout on the rebound with one second to go. James missed his own potential game-winner and the matchup went to overtime.
In overtime, defense was the main factor for both squads, but Smart hit a three and a few clutch free throws to put the Lakers ahead by six with 35 seconds to go.
The Rockets stayed in it with a Reed Sheppard three before Smart knocked down another free throw to go up by four and secure the win.
James finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and six assists while Smart put up 21 points, 10 assists and five steals.
For Houston Sengun put up 33 points, 16 rebounds and six assists.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
