Lakers Notes: Game 3 Comeback, Smart, Reaves, Bronny
The Lakers hold a 3-0 lead in their series with Houston after pulling off one of the most remarkable comebacks in their long playoff history, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Trailing by six points with less than 30 seconds remaining, L.A. rallied to tie the game before claiming a 112-108 win in overtime.
Marcus Smart made a game-changing play by picking off a pass from Jabari Smith Jr. in the backcourt with 27.8 seconds left. He immediately shot an errant three-pointer, but sank all three free throws after being fouled by Jae’Sean Tate.
“It was a smart play,” said Smart, who had five steals in the game. “My vet savvy. Been in the league for 12 years. I picked up some tricks.”
On the next possession, LeBron James knocked the ball away from Reed Sheppard, then drilled a three-pointer after Rui Hachimura passed it back to him.
The Lakers became the second team in the past 30 years to win a playoff game after trailing by six or more points in the final 30 seconds of regulation, McMenamin notes. They are remarkably on the verge of sweeping a series with Luka Doncic (left hamstring) and Austin Reaves (left oblique) sidelined by injuries.
“The last week of the season, the last thing you would want or even want to imagine or think about is, s—, two of your best players going down with injuries and not being ready for the postseason,” James said. “So it was a shift for all of us, it’s challenging for all of us … and we’re figuring it out together on the fly.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- In its Last Two Minutes Report, the NBA determined that Smart stepped over the line before the ball hit the rim on his final free throw and should have been whistled for a lane violation, McMenamin adds in a separate story.
- Reaves is listed as questionable for Sunday’s Game 4, per Khobi Price of The California Post (Twitter link). Reaves was also questionable for Game 3 and wound up not playing.
- Bronny James admitted being nervous when he made his playoff debut in Game 1, but he’s getting more comfortable as the series wears on,
Pacific Notes: Kerr, Williams, Goodwin, James
Steve Kerr is thankful that he’s gotten the opportunity to coach future Hall-of-Famer Stephen Curry for the past 12 seasons, as Nick Friedell writes for The Athletic, and that relationship will be a significant factor Kerr takes into consideration as he weighs his decision on his coaching future.
“I don’t want to walk away from Steph,” Kerr said after the Warriors’ season ended. “I’m definitely not going and coaching somewhere else next year in the NBA. I would never walk away from Steph, but all the stuff has to be aligned and right.”
Kerr said that much of the success he experienced while building the team’s culture over the years came from the fact that he and Curry share the same values, not just in basketball but in life.
The 60-year-old coach will not rush his decision, nor will the team push him on it, according to Anthony Slater at ESPN. Instead, Kerr will take a week or two to gauge what he’s looking for over the next few years.
“It’s April,” a team source told Slater. “We don’t need to rush.”
We have more from around the Pacific Division:
- Mark Williams is out for the Suns‘ Game 3 against the Thunder on Saturday, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic notes (via Twitter). Williams has missed the start of the series due to a stress reaction in his left foot that has kept him sidelined since April 10 and also forced him to miss 15 games in March. Oso Ighodaro started Game 2 in his place, though rookie big man Khaman Maluach closed the game, playing the entire fourth quarter.
- After grinding his way from depth piece to a valuable part of the rotation, the Suns need Jordan Goodwin‘s energy more than ever, Doug Haller writes for The Athletic. Goodwin made just 10 starts for Phoenix during the regular season, but six of those starts came in the final month, and he also started Game 1 before his calf injury sidelined him after just five minutes. Goodwin is a game-time decision for Saturday, Rankin writes (via Twitter), as is Grayson Allen.
- LeBron James added yet another magical playoff moment to his impressive collection in the Lakers‘ Game 3 victory over the Rockets on Friday, The Athletic’s Dan Woike writes. James capped off a 30-second, six-point comeback by hitting a three-pointer in front of the Rockets’ bench. His attempted game-winner moments later rimmed out, but he and the Lakers sealed the victory in overtime. “In the moment right now, I don’t really think about it,” teammate Rui Hachimura said of playing alongside James. “But I think in the future, I’ll start thinking about how crazy this whole thing was. Almost like in a dream, you know.”
Injury Notes: Durant, Reaves, Embiid, Edwards, Gordon
Kevin Durant will miss Game 3 for the Rockets on Friday due to a left ankle sprain, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter). Durant had previously been listed as questionable after suiting up for Game 2’s loss. He missed Game 1 due to an unrelated knee injury.
Before the announcement of Durant’s status, head coach Ime Udoka said that if Durant couldn’t play, Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason would fill out the starting five alongside Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr., per Yahoo’s Kelly Iko (Twitter link). Sharania notes (via Twitter) that this would be the second-youngest starting lineup in playoff history.
According to The Athletic’s Will Guillory (via Twitter), Udoka said the team is looking at using more small-ball units in Game 3, which could mean that Dorian Finney-Smith sees his first action of the postseason.
On the Lakers’ side of the injury report, guard Austin Reaves has been ruled out as well, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). Head coach JJ Redick told reporters during his pregame media session that Reaves would go through warm-ups at 5:45 pm local time and that the team would make a decision on his availability at that point (Twitter link via McMenamin).
Reaves, who has been sidelined since April 2 with an oblique injury, has been doing full-contact five-on-five work, Redick said (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic). It sounds like he’ll have a decent chance to play in Game 4.
We have more injury notes from around the league:
- Joel Embiid is out for the Sixers in Game 3 against the Celtics on Friday, Tim Bontemps writes for ESPN. The star center, who underwent an emergency appendectomy earlier this month, had previously been upgraded to doubtful, but isn’t yet cleared to return. “He’s just not ready,” coach Nick Nurse said pregame. “He’s lifted some, he’s got on court a bit, but we’re still at two weeks and a day, I think. So we’re just not ready yet.”
- Anthony Edwards is not on the injury report for the Timberwolves‘ Game 4 on Saturday, the team announced (via Twitter). He had previously been listed as questionable for each of the first three games of the series due to a knee ailment. “I think it’s definitely still something that we’re managing and he’s managing but all signs are pointing that it is getting better,” coach Chris Finch said when asked about the injury.
- The Nuggets are in must-win territory as they go into Game 4 down 2-1, but they still lack clarity on Aaron Gordon‘s status. According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link), the versatile forward is listed as questionable after doing a walk-through at practice and icing his calf. Gordon missed Game 3 due to calf tightness. Another injured Nuggets wing, Peyton Watson, remains out for Game 4 due to his hamstring strain, Slater adds.
Lakers Notes: Ayton, Doncic, Smart, Redick, Reaves
Lakers center Deandre Ayton scored just six points in Tuesday’s win over Houston and wasn’t part of the team’s closing lineup in the fourth quarter. However, Ayton was upbeat when he spoke to the media on Thursday and head coach JJ Redick has raved about the work the big man is doing that doesn’t necessarily show up on the stat sheets, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. That includes setting screens, switching on defense, and boxing out on rebounds.
“We love giving DA praise,” Redick said. “We love to give him — I mean, when he does what we ask him to do, he should get all the praise in the world. Again, he’s the former No. 1 pick, and he’s doing a lot of thankless work at times, so we always praise him for that.”
According to Redick, the decision to sit Ayton for the final five minutes of the Lakers’ Game 2 victory was less about anything he did wrong and more about how well backup center Jaxson Hayes was playing down the stretch.
“(Ayton’s) been a big key in both these games. Defensively, I thought (he) was really good in the second half of Game 2 and had played a ton down the stretch — or to start the fourth, he had had a really long run,” the Lakers’ coach said. “And that was during a stretch where there wasn’t a lot of dead balls. I told him I was going to get him out real quick, get him back in, and then Jaxson just played great.
“DA and I had a conversation today, like, ‘You didn’t do anything wrong, it’s not the reason you didn’t finish the game.’ It was just a group out there was winning, and Jaxson was doing a great job. But we can’t win at the level we want to win without those two guys playing great.”
Here are a few more notes on the Lakers:
- Although Luka Doncic was deemed award-eligible after coming up just short of the 65-game criteria, the Lakers star wasn’t among the finalists for this season’s Most Valuable Player award, meaning he didn’t finish in the top three in voting. Speaking before Game 2 (YouTube link), Redick said he was “disappointed” by that outcome and chalked it up to other candidates having more “media momentum” down the stretch. “I think he deserved to be there,” Redick said, “(but) I think all three guys that did end up being the finalists had a strong case.”
- The Lakers were taking a bit of a gamble when they signed Marcus Smart last summer after the guard had been limited to 54 regular season appearances across the previous two seasons due to injuries, but he has rewarded their faith in him, writes Melissa Rohlin of The California Post. “It’s easy to write somebody off as being older or not being as good,” Redick said. “But all of the analytics defensively, the analytics as a secondary play-maker, they were all really favorable. So, we felt really comfortable bringing him on board.” For his part, Smart is appreciate of the opportunity to be starring in the postseason again, telling Rohlin that the chance to “go out here and redeem myself is the best feeling you can have.”
- The Lakers look like the better-coached team through the first two games of their first-round series, according to Mirjam Swanson of The Los Angeles Times, who suggests that Redick is making a strong case that he’s the right coach for the playoffs.
- In case you missed it, guard Austin Reaves – out since April 2 with a strained oblique – is listed as questionable for Game 3 on Friday. “My understanding is Austin Reaves is trying to play in Game 3 tonight,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said on NBA Today on Friday (Twitter video link). “If not Game 3, then Game 4.”
Injury Notes: Gordon, Quickley, Durant, Reaves, Lillard, LaRavia
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon will miss Game 3 against the Wolves on Thursday due to a calf injury, as first reported by NBA insider Chris Haynes (via Twitter). With the series tied at one game apiece, Gordon’s absence is significant, especially with breakout reserve forward Peyton Watson still working his way back from a hamstring injury that will cause him to miss Game 3 as well.
Gordon played 37 minutes in Denver’s five-point loss to the Wolves on Monday, and while he posted a modest stat line, his defense on Julius Randle and his offensive versatility are a major part of the Nuggets’ game plan.
The injury is being described as left calf tightness. Gordon had previously been listed as probable before being downgraded to questionable earlier today.
We have more injury news from around the playoffs:
- Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley will remain sidelined for Game 3 of the team’s series vs. Cleveland on Thursday, Josh Lewenberg of TSN notes (via Twitter). Quickley missed each of the first two games of the series due to a hamstring injury that has kept him on the shelf since April 12. Jamal Shead started each of those two games in his place.
- Kevin Durant is being listed as questionable for the Rockets‘ Game 3 against the Lakers due to a left ankle sprain, Jovan Buha notes (via Twitter). This is seemingly unrelated to the knee injury that sidelined the veteran for Game 1. Durant played 41 minutes in Game 2 and struggled against the Lakers’ constant double-teams, amassing nine turnovers to four assists.
- The Lakers could see more reinforcements on the way soon, as Austin Reaves has been upgraded to questionable, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). Reaves was expected to be out for four to six weeks due to his left oblique strain, but if he’s able to play in Game 3, he’d be back at around three weeks.
- After the Trail Blazers posted a video of Damian Lillard getting shots up, there were questions about whether the star guard could return from his ruptured Achilles tendon during this year’s playoffs. Head coach Tiago Splitter didn’t rule out the possibility completely, but he did say it was unlikely, according to Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). When asked specifically about the return, Splitter gave a two-word response: “Probably not.”
- Jake LaRavia is day-to-day with a low-grade ankle sprain, according to Lakers coach JJ Redick, via Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). LaRavia went scoreless in 16 minutes in Game 2 against the Rockets after scoring six points in 18 minutes in Game 1. The 6’7″ forward played all 82 regular season games this season for Los Angeles.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Los Angeles Lakers
For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents – or could become free agents – during the 2026 offseason. We’ll consider whether each player’s stock is rising or falling due to his performance and several other factors.
Today, we’re focusing on a handful of players on the Lakers, who have 11 potential free agents this summer, the most in the NBA.
Pacific Notes: Suns, Smart, Reaves, Doncic, Lakers
The Suns have ruled Mark Williams out for Game 2 against the Thunder on Wednesday, Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic notes (via Twitter), adding that the big man is still in a walking boot.
Williams, who was previously considered questionable, is still experiencing soreness related to a left foot third metatarsal stress reaction that kept him on the shelf for 15 straight games in March. He returned for four contests in early April before being sidelined again.
Jordan Goodwin has also been ruled out while Grayson Allen has been upgraded to available after both warmed up with the intention to play, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports (Twitter link). Head coach Jordan Ott acknowledged earlier in the day that Allen was the most ready to return of the trio, having been a full participant in shootaround and shown the ability to sprint at full speed.
Goodwin missed the second half of Game 1 as he continues to fight through a calf injury that has limited him since February. Allen is dealing with a hamstring strain that has kept him sidelined since April 10.
We have more from around the Pacific Division:
- Marcus Smart was tasked with taking the Kevin Durant matchup for the Lakers in Game 2’s win over the Rockets and he delivered, Dave McMenamin writes for ESPN. Durant made 1-for-3 shots and committed three turnovers when guarded by Smart. The former Defensive Player of the Year served as the team’s tone-setter, according to Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times, scoring 25 points and adding seven assists along to go with his five steals.
- The Lakers are weathering their first-round series without their two top scorers, but they are encouraged by the progress Austin Reaves (oblique) and Luka Doncic (hamstring) have made, Khobi Price writes for the California Post. Reaves has already begun his return-to-play protocols, while coach JJ Redick says that Doncic will be following suit soon. There is still no exact timeline for either player to be reactivated.
- Through two games, Smart has joined LeBron James and Luke Kennard to form an unexpected “big three” for the Lakers, Broderick Turner writes for the Los Angeles Times. The trio combined for 76 points and 16 assists in the club’s Game 2 victory, led by James’ 28-point, eight-rebound, seven-assist performance. “When you’ve got two big guns out like we have, we all got to pick up our play,” the four-time MVP said. “And that’s all it’s about. We’re all just trying to contribute, make contributions in all facets of the game, pick up our play. Obviously, we’re missing Luka and missing AR, so we’re just trying to seize the opportunity. That’s all.”
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Capela, Pelicans, Coward
After being eliminated in the first round of the 2025 playoffs due in large part to their offensive struggles, the Rockets went out and traded for Kevin Durant last summer. But as good as Durant has been over the course of the season, he hasn’t solved the team’s scoring issues, according to William Guillory of The Athletic.
As Guillory details, after missing Durant in the first game due to a knee injury, the Rockets were even worse offensively in his return in Game 2. Although the star forward made 7-of-12 shots from the floor and scored 23 points, he consistently faced double-teams and committed nine turnovers, matching his career playoff high.
The Rockets have controlled the possession battle against the Lakers, attempting 44 more field goals than Los Angeles through two games. But Houston has been outscored by 16 points and failed to reach the 100-point threshold in either game, with Alperen Sengun (15-of-39), Jabari Smith Jr. (12-of-30), and Reed Sheppard (6-of-24) not scoring efficiently.
“I definitely need to be aggressive when I get the ball to the middle. I’m just missing so many easy shots,” Sengun said after Tuesday’s Game 2 loss, per Guillory. “I need to get back to who I am and dominate the paint when I have the ball. (I’ve got to) help KD a little bit and make my teammates better as well. … I’m not missing from long distance. I’m missing from under the rim. I’ve got to make those.”
The Rockets converted just 7-of-29 (24.1%) three-point attempts on Tuesday, with Sheppard – their leading outside shooter during the regular season -only playing 11 minutes due to the fact that he hasn’t fully earned head coach Ime Udoka‘s trust on the defensive end of the court.
As Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) points out, the Rockets lack reliable three-point shooters who can hold their own defensively. Dorian Finney-Smith, Houston’s big 2025 free agent addition, was supposed to be that kind of player but hasn’t looked like his usual self since returning from offseason ankle surgery. Tari Eason also has a three-and-D profile, but he has been up and down all season, including in this series so far — after hitting 7-of-7 shots from the floor in Game 1, he made just 4-of-14 in Game 2.
As the Rockets head back home looking to turn their series around, here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Earlier in the season, former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton griped about the Lakers “trying to make me Clint Capela,” a reference to his role within the team’s offense. With his Rockets facing Ayton’s Lakers in the playoffs, Capela told Melissa Rohlin of The California Post that he was “surprised” when he learned of Ayton’s comments. “I don’t know why I’m in someone else’s head. I don’t talk to the guy,” Capela said. “I mean for me, in my career, I did what I did for my team, had a lot of success. So, it worked out for me.”
- The Pelicans have at least 25 vacancies across their basketball and business operations departments, according to Shamit Dua of In The N.O., who reports (via Twitter) that the medical and performance team has seven openings. As Dua explains (via Twitter), while many of those vacancies are the result of an organizational restructuring, some staff members also left the team at season’s end because they didn’t know whether or not their contracts would be renewed.
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) previews the Pelicans‘ offseason, evaluating how they might go about upgrading their frontcourt and weighing which of the team’s veterans are the likeliest summer trade candidates. Based on the current make-up of New Orleans’ roster, Gozlan believes the front office should consider the possibility of rebuilding around Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears and moving several vets.
- After a promising rookie year, forward Cedric Coward is expected to play for the Grizzlies‘ Summer League team ahead of his second NBA season, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who takes a look at what other young players on Memphis’ roster are likeliest to join Coward.
Kevin Durant Cleared To Play Game 2
Kevin Durant will play in Game 2 of the Rockets’ series against the Lakers on Tuesday night, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
Houston’s star forward missed Game 1 due to a knee tendon bruise after suffering the injury in practice last week. Rockets coach Ime Udoka said during his pregame press conference that Durant, who tested out the knee during pregame warmups, wouldn’t be on a minutes restriction if he plays.
“The pain tolerance is one thing, but actually moving and feeling comfortable doing all the movements is going to be the biggest thing,” Udoka said after the team’s practice this week.
The Lakers, who are operating without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, collected a 107-98 Game 1 victory as the Rockets struggled offensively without Durant. The 16-time All-Star averaged 26.0 points per game this season in 78 outings this season and has averaged 29.3 PPG in 170 career playoff contests.
He’ll match up against LeBron James for the first time since the 2018 NBA Finals, when Durant played for Golden State and James led Cleveland.
Latest On Lakers’ Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic
Austin Reaves (left oblique strain) will remain on the inactive list for Game 2 of the Lakers‘ first-round series against Houston on Tuesday night, but there’s still a chance that he’ll be able to suit up later in the series, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link).
“The sense around the Lakers is that Austin Reaves is actually the one that’s further along than Luka Doncic in their respective rehab processes,” Charania said. “I am told Austin Reaves has started one-on-one on-court work. The next step for him is to continue to go through the progressions of three-on-three, five-on-five.
“Remember, early April, he had a four-to-six week timetable. So theoretically that puts him on track (to return) late in this series (or) potentially early in the next series.”
The prognosis isn’t quite as positive for Doncic, who is dealing with a left hamstring strain. According to Charania, the Lakers aren’t expecting the perennial MVP candidate to return to action during the first round.
A recovery timeline for Doncic was never specified, but he has dealt with some left hamstring issues in the past and suffered a Grade 2 strain this time around, so the Lakers will be careful not to rush him back before he’s ready. His injury typically requires a recovery period of at least four weeks — and sometimes more than that.
The Lakers’ ability to extend or win the series without their two star guards is an open question, but the team took care of business at home in Game 1 on Saturday, registering a 107-98 win as Luke Kennard led the way with a team-high 27 points.
LeBron James (13 assists) and Marcus Smart (eight assists) took on additional play-making duties in Game 1 for the Lakers, who benefited from the fact that Kevin Durant was sidelined with an injury of his own. Durant is listed as questionable to play in Game 2 on Tuesday and doesn’t seem likely to be at 100% if he suits up.