LeBron Had 19 and 13 Assists, Luke Kennard Went Off for 27, and the Lakers Stole Game 1 Without Luka or Reaves
No Luka Doncic. No Austin Reaves. Your two best perimeter players are out, and you’re going up against the Houston Rockets in a first-round playoff game. Most people had the Lakers losing this one. LeBron James and Luke Kennard had other plans.
The Lakers beat the Rockets 107-98 in Game 1 Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, and the two guys who carried them were a 41-year-old and a guy most people think of as just a three-point shooter. LeBron had 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 13 assists — running the offense like a point guard, picking Houston apart with his passing and making the right play every single time. Kennard? He went for a game-high 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 5-for-5 from three. That’s the most points he’s scored as a Laker by a mile.
Houston didn’t have Kevin Durant either — he was a late scratch — so both teams were short-handed. But the Lakers adjusted better.
Kennard Was the Story Nobody Expected
Luke Kennard got traded from Atlanta to the Lakers on February 5. He’s been a role player his whole career — a shooter, a floor spacer, a guy who hits open threes when the stars create for him. Nobody expected him to go for 27 in a playoff game.
But Saturday night, Kennard wasn’t just a catch-and-shoot guy. He was attacking off the dribble. He was scoring in transition. He was pulling up from mid-range with confidence. He played the best game of his life at the exact moment the Lakers needed someone to step up.
LeBron set the table all night — his 13 assists kept the entire offense flowing, and he had 8 assists in the first quarter alone to help LA build a 33-29 lead early. When LeBron is in distributor mode like that, the whole team plays better. Kennard was the biggest beneficiary, but every Laker got clean looks because of the way James controlled the game.
The Rockets Couldn’t Find Their Rhythm
Alperen Sengun led Houston with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, and Amen Thompson had 17 points, 7 boards, and 7 assists. But without Durant running the offense, the Rockets looked out of sorts. Their spacing was off. Their half-court execution was sloppy. They couldn’t get clean looks against a Lakers defense that was locked in all night.
The Rockets are young and talented, but this is a team that’s never been in a playoff series like this before. The Lakers — led by a guy who’s been to the playoffs 19 times — are built for these moments. Experience matters in April, and LeBron has more of it than anyone who’s ever played the game.
Can the Lakers Hold It Down Until Luka Gets Back?
That’s the real question. Doncic is still recovering from a Grade 2 hamstring strain and could return as early as Game 3 or 4 if the Lakers can stay alive. Reaves is dealing with a knee issue and might be back sooner. If LA can split the first two games at home and survive until their stars get back, this could be a very different series.
For now, the Lakers proved they’re not just going to roll over. LeBron at 41 is still one of the smartest basketball players on earth, and Kennard just showed that this supporting cast can carry more of the load than people expected. Houston has to be shook. They came in thinking they were facing a team missing its two best guys, and they still lost by 9.
Game 2 is Tuesday night in LA.
