The Los Angeles Lakers opened their first-round playoff series with a 107-98 victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, overcoming major absences and taking a 1-0 lead. Los Angeles entered the postseason without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, while Houston was forced to play without Kevin Durant after he was ruled out with a right knee contusion.
Despite the late change to Houston’s lineup, the Lakers stayed composed and delivered one of their strongest all-around performances of the season. Luke Kennard scored a career playoff-high 27 points, LeBron James added 19 points and 13 assists, and Deandre Ayton finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
After the win, head coach JJ Redick addressed whether Durant’s absence changed the Lakers’ approach. His response made clear that Los Angeles believes its playoff identity must remain the same regardless of opponent injuries as the series moves forward.
JJ Redick Responds To Kevin Durant’s Injury
Redick said the Lakers did not let Durant’s late scratch alter their mentality entering Game 1.
“I don’t think it affected our mentality. This is all we talked about for two months, just our playoff mentality,” Redick told reporters after the win.
“You can’t worry about who’s in or out of the lineup. It’s our game plan. It’s our standards. It’s how we play. We’ve built towards that, and I thought our guys responded well, and met the moment.”
Redick added that preparing for Durant required adjustments once Houston ruled him out.
“There’s a lot that you have to do with Kevin, and you just kind of scrap that and move onto all the other stuff we worked on.”
Houston ruled Durant out because of a right knee contusion. Rockets coach Ime Udoka said the injury came during practice on Wednesday when Durant banged knees with a teammate.
The absence removed Houston’s top scorer and changed the shape of the matchup. Durant’s ability to create offense and draw defensive attention is central to the Rockets’ playoff hopes, making his status one of the biggest storylines of the series.
For the Lakers, Redick’s comments reflected a focus on internal execution rather than opponent availability.
LeBron James And Luke Kennard Lead Los Angeles Lakers
GettyLos Angeles Lakers guard Luke Kennard
Los Angeles responded with balanced offense and strong defensive pressure.
Kennard delivered the best playoff scoring game of his career with 27 points. He hit four three-pointers and made nine of his first 12 shots, continuing the strong form he has shown since joining the Lakers in February.
James, beginning his 19th NBA postseason, controlled the game with 19 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds.
“That’s what it has to be — a collective group,” James said. “When you’re missing so much firepower like we are right now with AR and Luka being out, we all have to do our job and maybe have to do a little bit more.”
Ayton added interior scoring and rebounding with 19 points and 11 boards. Marcus Smart chipped in 15 points and eight assists while knocking down four three-pointers. Rui Hachimura scored 14 points.
The Lakers shot 60.6% from the field and held Houston to 37.6% shooting. That efficiency allowed Los Angeles to win despite attempting only 66 shots and allowing 21 offensive rebounds.
For Houston, Alperen Sengun scored 19 points, Jabari Smith Jr. added 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Amen Thompson had 17 points.
Udoka pointed to missed chances after the loss.
“We won a lot of areas, but just shot poorly,” he said. “That’s going to be tough to beat, but there are some things we left on the table, opportunities missed.”
Game 2 is set for Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Durant’s availability remains uncertain, but the Lakers made one point clear after Game 1.
Their playoff approach, according to Redick, will not change based on who is available on the other side.
JJ Redick Sends Clear Message on Kevin Durant Injury After Lakers’ Game 1 Win