Rockets Lakers Basketball

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., left, celebrates as Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves walks off after the Rockets defeated the Lakers in Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Los Angeles.

Tags

As featured on

NBA tipoff: Round 2 continues Wednesday with 76ers-Knicks, Timberwolves-Spurs

NBA tipoff: Round 2 continues Wednesday with 76ers-Knicks, Timberwolves-Spurs

The good news for the Los Angeles Lakers: They held MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to 18 points. The good news for the Oklahoma City Thunder: They won Game 1 against the Lakers by 18 points. For the first time this season, Gilgeous-Alexander was held under 20 points. And it didn’t matter, with the Thunder easing past the Lakers 108-90 to open their Western Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night. Also Tuesday, Detroit took a 1-0 Eastern Conference semifinal series lead over Cleveland with a 111-101 win behind 23 points from Cade Cunningham.