'There's no quit': Lakers' leadership, resilience shines through in series-clinching win - BERITAJA

HOUSTON — Marcus Smart’s block. LeBron James’ ascendant 2nd quarter. Deandre Ayton’s relentless rebounding.

The individual performances successful the Lakers’ ugly, but decisive 98-78 series-clinching win complete the Houston Rockets connected Friday were almost excessively galore for coach JJ Redick to attraction connected each one.

That corporate tone is besides what makes him truthful assured heading into the Lakers’ first Western Conference semifinal quality since 2023.

“For america to beryllium written disconnected a fewer weeks agone and to triumph a playoff bid is simply a large deal,” Redick said aft the Lakers polished disconnected their first-round playoff bid successful six games. “And it conscionable speaks to the characteristic of our squad and the leaders of our team. They didn’t fto spell of the rope.”

After winning a bid successful which they were underdogs for each crippled they won, the Lakers return to the segment of their lowest infinitesimal to look the Oklahoma City Thunder successful the Western Conference semifinals opening Tuesday.

The past clip they were successful Oklahoma City, the Lakers mislaid by 43 points. Their 2 champion players sustained regular-season ending injuries, pinch news of Luka Doncic’s hamstring injury and Austin Reaves’ oblique strain coming connected consecutive days aft the loss. Still pensive from the affectional hangover, the Lakers mislaid their adjacent 2 games.

“There was a batch of mobility marks,” Reaves said. “And conscionable the measurement that we responded arsenic a group, I deliberation it conscionable tells you a batch about the group that we person successful our room. There’s nary quit.”

The Lakers vanished the regular play pinch 3 consecutive wins. They leapt retired to a 3-0 bid lead against Houston earlier letting uncertainty creep successful again. After the Lakers squandered 2 chances to extremity the series, including a disappointing location nonaccomplishment Wednesday erstwhile Reaves returned from injury, critics wondered if the Lakers would really beryllium the first squad successful NBA history to rustle a 3-0 playoff lead.

James wouldn’t let it.

The superstar guardant dominated pinch 28 points connected 10-of-25 shooting, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. He outscored the Rockets by himself successful the 2nd 4th 14-13 arsenic the Lakers went connected a 27-3 tally to unfastened a 19-point lead.

“We understand that he’s the feline that brings energy, but besides we person to thief him,” guardant Rui Hachimura said, “especially you know, he’s aged now.”

Hachimura tried to suppress a smile.

Lakers guardant Rui Hachimura blocks a changeable by Rockets guardant Jabari Smith Jr. during the first half of Game 6.

(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

The Japanese guardant did his portion pinch 21 points, including 5 three-pointers. Smart leapt for a jaw-dropping artifact against 6-foot-8 Tari Eason and drew 3 charges. Ayton had 16 rebounds, helping the Lakers outrebound the champion rebounding squad of a procreation 54-45.

Ayton, often maligned for his inconsistent effort, has been a unit successful the postseason, averaging 11.8 points and 10.8 rebounds while often guarding Rockets All-Star Alperen Sengun one-on-one.

“He’s been saying it each year: ‘Wait till I get to the playoffs,’” Smart said of Ayton. “It’s a different broadside of him that fans haven’t seen, that we expect, that we cognize he could give. He knows it and he’s ready.”

In his 2nd crippled backmost from injury, Reaves had 15 points connected seven-of-14 shooting pinch 3 blocks. He missed each 4 of his three-point attempts, still searching for his shooting hit aft a agelong layoff. But the measurement Reaves attacked his curen and returned earlier the emblematic four- to six-week timeline was his ain shape of leadership, Redick said.

Reaves sometimes near his location astatine 7:30 a.m. and didn’t return until much than 12 hours later. He drove each complete L.A. looking for different curen options. He did everything short of pursuing Doncic to Europe, Reaves joked.

Doncic’s position is still chartless for the opening of the convention semifinals. He has yet to advancement to unrecorded play connected the court, though he precocious started incorporating activity into his on-court drills alternatively of conscionable stationary shooting. He is still retired indefinitely.

Without the prima constituent guard, the Lakers could confidently move to James to steer them done choppy waters. He averaged 22.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.3 assists successful the first-round series. At 1 constituent during Friday’s game, Reaves approached him to conscionable show him his capacity was “insane.”

“I don’t deliberation you could opportunity successful words really typical he was,” Reaves said, “not conscionable coming but this series, this year.”

In the locker room aft the crippled erstwhile the Lakers prepared to break their past huddle, the lights abruptly clicked off. Players started bleating, serenading James pinch sounds deserving of the G.O.A.T. — top of each time.