Lakers Eliminate Rockets 98-78 in Game 6, Advance to Face Thunder
Los Angeles uses 27-3 first-half run to cruise past Houston, which shot just 35% and made only 5 of 28 3-pointers
Quick Look
- The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 98-78 in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series Friday, advancing to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
- LeBron James led the Lakers with 28 points while Rui Hachimura added 21 points with five 3-pointers.
- The Lakers used a 27-3 run in the first half to take an 18-point halftime lead and never looked back, holding Houston to a season-low 78 points.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Lakers advanced to the second round for the first time since 2023, when they lost to Denver in the West finals. They were missing top scorer Luka Doncic for the entire series. The Rockets lost in the first round for the second straight season after losing to the Warriors in seven games last year.
HOUSTON -- LeBron James had 28 points and the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated Houston with a 98-78 win in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series Friday night by holding the Rockets to a season low in points. The No. 4 seed Lakers move on to meet the top-seeded Thunder with Game 1 on Tuesday in Oklahoma City. Los Angeles has advanced to the second round for the first time since 2023, when it lost to Denver in the West finals, despite missing top scorer Luka Doncic for the entire series. The Lakers used a 27-3 run in the first half to take an 18-point lead at halftime. They led by 22 with about three minutes left in the third quarter before Houston went on an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 71-55 entering the fourth. But Los Angeles opened the quarter with a 10-3 spurt, with five points from Rui Hachimura, to make it 81-58 with about seven minutes left. Hachimura added 21 points with five 3-pointers. Amen Thompson had 18 points and Alperen Sengun added 17 for Houston, which is heading home after a first-round playoff loss for a second straight season after losing to the Warriors in seven games last year. The fifth-seeded Rockets had won two straight after falling into an 0-3 hole. They forced Game 6 despite missing superstar Kevin Durant for all but one game of this series because of a knee injury followed by an ankle issue. But they were felled by poor shooting Friday, making just 35% overall, and were particularly bad from long range. After making 26 3-pointers combined in the last two games, the Rockets made just five of 28 3-pointers Friday with Reed Sheppard going 1-for-10. The Lakers trailed by five with five minutes left in the first before using a 27-3 run to take a 38-19 lead with about seven minutes left in the second quarter. Hachimura, Jake LaRavia and James all made 3-pointers in that stretch to help Los Angeles build the lead on a night the Lakers made 12 3s. The Rockets couldn't get anything going early in the second quarter. They got one free throw from Sheppard but missed 11 shots before he made the team's first field goal in the period with 6:55 left before halftime. That didn't spark anything for Houston, and the Lakers led 48-31 at halftime.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Lakers will play Thunder in Game 1 on Tuesday in Oklahoma City
Very likely · Within days
