The Los Angeles Lakers are up 1-0 in their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, in part due to a major performance from guard Luke Kennard.
Kennard finished Game 1 for the Lakers with a game-high 27 points on 5/5 shooting from deep. While LeBron James also had a strong night as Los Angeles continues to play without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, it was Kennard who was the leading storyline after their opening game victory in the series.
Now, in the lead-up to Game 2 against the Rockets, the Lakers announce news about Kennard’s historic shooting night over the weekend.
Lakers Announce Luke Kennard News
In a typical pregame post on social media, highlighting ‘3 things to know,’ the Lakers announced that Kennard is the first player in team history to make at least five consecutive three-point shots since Robert Horry accomplished the feat back in 1997.
“Luke Kennard was a perfect 5 of 5 from 3, the first Laker to make 5 or more without a miss since Robert Horry in 1997,” they wrote.
Kennard’s 27 points on 5/5 shooting from deep was a career-best for the guard in the playoffs.
“It’s everybody continuing to build confidence in me to be aggressive and look for my shot whenever I can,” Kennard said after Game 1, per ESPN. “So any daylight that I see — and they obviously got some big athletic defenders, guys that have been on me from the start of the game trying to be physical. So when I see space and the rim, I’m going to look to get it up.”
Kennard was both the only player on the Lakers and the only player in Game 1 to score more than 20 points. His 27-point total was the most of his playoff career, beating out his previous 21-point high from seven years ago.
Lakers Shooting Will Be Tough To Maintain In Game 2 vs Rockets
As seen with both Kennard’s shooting stats and the Lakers as a whole, it was a historic night for Los Angeles.
According to Zach Kram of ESPN, the Lakers shot a 68.2 effective field goal percentage, the highest in franchise history. They also were a plus-16.7% in ‘shotmaking,’ which was the highest of all 16 teams playing in the first round.
However, as Kram wrote, their Game 1 shooting performance ‘might have been a fluke‘ as while Kennard was the best three-point shooter in the NBA this season, recreating the same magic in Game 2 might not come so easy.
“The Lakers’ Game 1 victory might have been a fluke, their apparent domination a mirage,” he wrote. “Underlying stats and recent playoff history offer warning signs for the victorious Lakers — and a reason for calm and patience for the Rockets — as the squads prepare for a crucial Game 2 on Tuesday.”
Additionally, while players like James, Deandre Ayton, and Rui Hachimura all shot above 50% against the Rockets in the opening game of the series, Kram doesn’t think the Lakers can do something like that again for Game 2.
“It’s not impossible that the Lakers will follow that path against the Rockets. But it is improbable,” he added. “It might not seem that way after Game 1’s mismatch, but the Rockets have a clear path forward. That starts with the Lakers’ shooting falling back to earth on Tuesday night.”
My latest piece ahead of a big Game 2:
Kennard and the Lakers had a historic shooting night, but doing that again while they wait for Doncic and Reaves to return is a tall task.
The Lakers vs Rockets playoff series continues with Game 2 on Tuesday, April 21, at 7:30 pm PST and live on NBC and Peacock.
Lakers Make Luke Kennard Announcement Ahead Of Game 2 Vs Rockets