The Los Angeles Lakers were challenged by one of their franchise legends before taking on the Houston Rockets in Game 1. Shaquille O’Neal wondered who could be the Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves for the night.
The answer was clear early on: Luke Kennard.
LA’s midseason trade pickup made his Lakers playoff debut on Saturday night for Game 1 against the Rockets and ended up leading the team in scoring.
Kennard checked in for 38 minutes. He got hot from three, going 5-5, which tied a franchise record for most threes in a playoff debut with the team. Kennard wrapped up the game with 27 points. He also had four rebounds and three assists.
After the Lakers defeated the Rockets 107-98, Redick praised the veteran for his stellar first game to open the series.
JJ Redick Assesses Luke Kennard’s Lakers Playoff Debut
GettyLOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 10: Lakers head coach JJ Redick points at Lakers guard Luka Doncic, #77, not pictured, during a game with the Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“He was aggressive shooting threes. I mean, he played a fantastic basketball game,” Redick told reporters after the game.
“He just played really aggressive tonight and did a nice job. I mean, I don’t know what our overall numbers were, but we came in at halftime, and we had one of our highest paint touch rates of the entire season. His ability to just kind of get to the next thing and turn the corner on off-ball stuff and touch the paint for us, there’s a snowball effect to that. We played a really good game.”
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 06: Luke Kennard #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against Jarace Walker #5 of the Indiana Pacers during the first quarter of an NBA game at Crypto.com Arena on March 06, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
The Lakers acquired Kennard at the trade deadline, swapping out Gabe Vincent for the Atlanta Hawks guard.
Kennard appeared in 32 games for the Lakers down the stretch of the season. He saw the court for an average of 23.0 minutes per game. The sharpshooter made 52.7% of his shots from the field and hit on 44.8% of his threes. Kennard put up 9.0 points per game.
What’s Next For The Lakers?
GettyLOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 7, 2026: Los Angeles Lakers guard Luke Kennard (10) reacts after scoring on a three point shot, his first points in a Lakers uniform against the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on February 7, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Lakers will be back on the court for Game 2 on Tuesday, April 21.
After facing a Kevin Durant-less team for the first game of the series, the Lakers protected their home court, despite the public’s belief that it could be a quick series in favor of Houston.
The Lakers will need more performances like that out of Kennard in this series.