James, Smart steal road win in Houston, hand Lakers 3-0 series lead

HOUSTON — “The more desperate team normally wins in the Playoffs.”

That was the wisdom Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick spewed prior to his team’s Game 3 road matchup vs. the Houston Rockets. The 15-year NBA veteran turned second-year coach is no stranger to the grand stage of the NBA Playoffs, and he made it his mission to inject the appropriate level of desperation into a Laker squad that concocted a 2-0 series lead without their two leading scorers.

By nature, the more desperate team was unquestionably the Rockets. Not only were they on the verge of the dreaded 0-3 deficit which has never been overcome in NBA history, but roughly 90 minutes before tipoff, their 16-time All-Star Kevin Durant was ruled out due to a left ankle sprain sustained from Game 2.

But eventually the Lakers embodied that desperation, snatching a mathematically improbable 112-108 overtime victory from the jaws of defeat to claim a 3-0 series lead in Houston.

“We talked for the last 10 days about elevating everything for our first road playoff game,” Redick said. “You have to elevate your poise. You have to elevate your composure, recognizing moments where the crowd’s going crazy when you get down and they make a run. We weathered a lot tonight.”

Previously in control from the middle of the first quarter through the middle of the fourth, the Lakers suddenly found themselves down 101-95 thanks to a personal 6-0 run by Rockets center Alperen Sengun. After two field goal attempts rattled off the rim, the Rockets secured a series-swinging rebound. However, Lakers point guard Marcus Smart turned the tide by intercepting an errant pass with 28 seconds remaining, and he subsequently drew a foul on a 3-point attempt. The veteran drained all three free throws, but the Lakers — down 101-98 — still required a defiance of probability to complete the late comeback.

“We knew they were gonna try to ice the game, and we needed to make a play,” Smart said. “I was just using my instincts. Jabari Smith — it was him who made the pass — and I just stunted to see what he did. He picked his dribble up, and now he’s in no-man’s land and threw a lob pass for me to recover, and I got it. As I looked at the clock, I saw (Jae’Sean) Tate running really fast and thought, ‘He’s not going to be able to stop in time,’ so I just pulled up right away and he ran right under me. It was a smart play. That’s part of me being a vet and my vet-savvy. I’ve picked up some tricks from some guys, and that helped us a lot.”

Then LeBron James proved his signature playoff moments aren’t behind him. The 41-year-old picked up Rockets point guard Reed Sheppard full-court and mirrored every move. When Sheppard turned on the jets to fly past the oldest player in the league, James poked the ball out of his left hand, forcing a second Houston turnover in the final 30 seconds. After a fumbled pass to Luke Kennard, the all-time leading playoff scorer eventually wound up with the ball in his hands on the right wing, pump faked, and let it fly. The perfect swish stunned the Toyota Center crowd, rapidly turning a surefire Rockets victory into a 5-minute overtime struggle.

“We went in with the game plan to not foul right away, try to make a play on the ball, create a turnover, and extend the game a little bit,” James said. “I was able to get a back tap on Reed. We kicked it up, fumbled the ball a little bit. I tried to hit Luke for a three, but I kind of fumbled. They rotated to him, he threw it back to me, and I was able to tie it… We executed that game plan to a T.”

Overtime proved to be the Marcus Smart show. Smart launched the scoring in the extra period with a corner three and later drained five free throws in the period, cementing a well-rounded game featuring 21 points, 10 assists, five steals, four rebounds, and two blocks.

“He’s a winner,” Redick said. “He makes winning plays. The two plays in overtime that really got us the lead and kept us in control in overtime were on offensive rebounds, and Smart got one… As much as we have emphasized their offensive rebounding, we also want to crash and we also want to get extra possessions.”

Smart’s hustle stole the show, but James similarly went the extra mile with effort. On top of 29 points, he logged a team-high 13 rebounds and three steals. Perhaps his most memorable hustle play of the night transpired on defense with a 107-105 edge in overtime. James saved a loose ball from going out of bounds, stripped Sengun under the basket, and forced a jump ball all in a span of roughly 10 seconds.

“[He] made it 23 years, right?” Smart said. “We know he’s gonna come up with that ball. It’s not a surprise for us, even though he’s 41. He’s been doing this for a very long time. We knew at that given time, game on the line, who was coming up with that ball for us. And we pride ourselves on that. Yeah, he laid there for a minute. He wasn’t tired. He was more so just gathering his thoughts and getting ready to go win it for us.”

Los Angeles also received a much-needed boost from small forward Rui Hachimura, who provided an immediate spark on the road. Hachimura chipped in 16 points in the opening quarter on a 6-of-6 start, allowing the Lakers to secure a double-digit halftime advantage in their eventual victory. The strong start also translated to a triumphant finish, as Hachimura provided the only non-Smart points of overtime in the gritty 4-point escape.

It’s a statistic reiterated every year, and an exception has yet to be logged in the annals of history. Teams ahead 3-0 are 159-0 in NBA playoff series. Down leading scorers Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, it’s in the Lakers’ best interest to wrap up the series immediately to further preserve the health of their stars. With a potential sweep on the horizon, the team understands the mission Sunday for Game 4.

“We got one more,” Smart said. “It’s not over. We got one more. We’re in their home, and nobody wants to get embarrassed in their home. We got them in a nail-biter tonight. It’s one more, and we can’t worry about what happens after that. Right now, Sunday’s the only thing on my mind.”