LeBron Leads Lakers Past Rockets, Sets Up Thunder Showdown
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- LeBron James posted 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in the Lakers' 98-78 Game 6 victory over the Rockets, and became the oldest player in NBA history to lead all players in a playoff series in total points (139) according to ESPN Research.
- JJ Redick said James has had "the greatest career of any NBA player," and the Lakers locker room serenaded the 41-year-old with goat sounds after the closeout win in Houston.
- Deandre Ayton's one-on-one coverage of Alperen Sengun held the Rockets big man to just one assist in Game 6, after Sengun had picked apart the Lakers with his passing when doubled in Game 5; the Rockets shot just 35% as a team.
- Rui Hachimura added 21 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three, and Austin Reaves scored 15 in just his second game back from a four-week absence caused by a Grade 2 left oblique strain, adding three blocks.
- James described accepting a third-option role behind Luka Doncic and Reaves during a 16-2 run through March before Doncic and Reaves were injured April 2 against Oklahoma City, forcing him back into the No. 1 option.
- The Lakers now face the defending champion Thunder, who swept them 4-0 in the regular season by an average margin of 29.3 points, making the Western Conference semifinals the most lopsided matchup by regular-season point differential.
- James added 2025-26 milestones of becoming the first player to play 23 NBA seasons and the all-time leader in games played and field goals made, while his son Bronny James logged meaningful minutes in his first playoff series.
Why it matters: The Lakers just gutted out a first-round win as a significant underdog against Houston, but now draw a second-round matchup with the defending champion Thunder who beat them by an average of 29.3 points in the regular season sweep — the most lopsided second-round pairing by point differential, meaning James's late-career playoff run faces its steepest test yet on Tuesday.
