Rockets thrash LeBron’s Lakers; Wembanyama triumphant on Spurs’ return | Basketball News
Rockets Keep Playoff Hopes Alive with Victory Over Lakers
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 115-96 on Sunday, cutting the Lakers’ lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference series to 3-1. Amen Thompson’s 23 points led the Rockets, who rebounded from a previous overtime loss to stay alive in the playoffs.
Despite the loss, the Lakers can conclude the series when they host Game 5 on Wednesday. The Rockets are still without star player Kevin Durant but capitalized on Lakers’ mistakes, forcing 24 turnovers that resulted in 30 points.
In other playoff action, the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics both took commanding 3-1 series leads. The Spurs overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 114-93, while the Celtics secured a decisive 128-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
In Toronto, the Raptors edged the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-89, evening their series at two games each.
Wembanyama Shines in Return
San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama returned to the court after missing a game due to a concussion, scoring 27 points and grabbing 11 rebounds against Portland. He also contributed three assists, four steals, and seven blocked shots.
“I had a lot of emotions before the game, obviously,” said Wembanyama, who was named the 2026 NBA Defensive Player of the Year and is also considered a contender for Most Valuable Player. He expressed frustration with the NBA concussion protocol, stating, “The way the situation was handled was very disappointing.”
The Spurs will have an opportunity to clinch their series in Game 5 on Tuesday.
Lakers Struggle Without Key Players
LeBron James struggled in his performance for the Lakers, hitting only two of nine shots from the field while scoring 10 points and dishing out nine assists, accompanied by eight turnovers. Deandre Ayton led Los Angeles with 19 points and 10 rebounds but was ejected in the third quarter after an incident with Houston’s Alperen Sengun.
Tari Eason contributed 20 points and Sengun added 19 for the Rockets, who are striving to become the first NBA team to overcome a 0-3 deficit to win a playoff series.
Celtics Dominate 76ers
The Celtics took full advantage of the 76ers’ issues, including the return of star player Joel Embiid, who had missed time due to an emergency appendectomy. Payton Pritchard led Boston with 32 points off the bench, while Jayson Tatum contributed 30 points, seven rebounds, and 11 assists. The Celtics maintained a double-digit lead for much of the game.
Embiid finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds for the 76ers but could not match the Celtics’ three-point shooting, with Boston hitting 24 shots from beyond the arc.
In Toronto, the Raptors managed to fend off the Cavaliers despite a lackluster performance from three-point range, overcoming a five-point deficit in the final minutes for the win. Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram each scored 23 points, while Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 20 points.
