Houston Rockets

The 2026 NBA Playoffs deliver a clash of titans this Sunday, April 19, as the Los Angeles Lakers host the Houston Rockets for Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round. This 4-vs-5 seed matchup features two of the most star-studded rosters in the league. Los Angeles (52-30) enters the postseason as the Pacific Division champions, while the Rockets (51-31) have completed a meteoric rise to elite status in the West. Catch the series opener live on Fubo. All eyes are on the legendary duel bet...

LOS ANGELES – The injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have called Bronny James into action for the Los Angeles Lakers’ opening-round series of the NBA playoffs against the Houston Rockets. James was thrust into the lineup towards the end of the regular season amid the injuries, and he figures to be part of […] The post The vet Bronny James is studying before Game 1 vs. Rockets appeared first on ClutchPoints.

LeBron James is the Lakers only hope after this week's injury updates for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Here's the latest before playoffs vs Rockets.

The Lakers needed a break, but Kevin Durant’s likely return keeps the Rockets in control of the series.

Fred VanVleet initially signed with the Houston Rockets in the 2023 offseason. A few years later, the nine-year veteran revealed that by the time he was leaving the Toronto Raptors, he couldn’t leave that organization fast enough. During a guest appearance on the “Out the Mud” podcast, VanVleet proclaimed he originally wanted to leave Toronto […] The post Fred VanVleet calls out Raptors’ ‘bulls**t’ in very NSFW rant about Rockets signing appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Lakers are big underdogs in their series against the Rockets due to the injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. At least initially, that could work to the Lakers’ advantage, accoding to guard Marcus Smart. “It’s going to take everybody,” Smart said, per Greg Beacham of the Associated Press. “With that, it’s a different […]

As the Los Angeles Lakers prepare to open the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets, commissioner Adam Silver offered insight into LeBron James’ future, indicating that the 41-year-old is expected to continue his career into next season. Silver addressed James’ outlook during an appearance on The Carton Show on WFAN with Craig Carton on […] The post Adam Silver teases Lakers star LeBron James’ plans for next season appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Lakers are limping into the NBA postseason, but even without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves indefinitely, the team still hopes to surprise the Rockets in their first-round series. Here are five major postseason questions for the Lakers, which we posed to California Post sports staffers Khobi Price, Melissa Rohlin and Michael Duarte: The Lakers’...

The Los Angeles Lakers face a daunting task in winning a series in the NBA playoffs without star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. The Houston Rockets are the type of athletic, and long team that pose problems for the Lakers. During practice in the week leading up to Game 1 against the Rockets, head […] The post Lakers’ playoff X-factor vs. Rockets with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves injured appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Let’s cut to the chase: The Lakers should be underdogs for their first-round NBA playoff series against the Rockets. The Lakers’ Luka Doncic is expected to watch Saturday’s game from the bench while he recovers from injury. If you took the top-two scorers away from most playoff teams, which is the reality the Lakers faced...

The Los Angeles Lakers face the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, but will be without Luka Doncic, who is injured.

The No. 5-seeded Houston Rockets are set to take on the No. 4-seeded Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, in Game 1 of their first-round contest in the NBA Playoffs. While L.A. is already without Luka Doncic (left hamstring) and Austin Reaves (left oblique), it appears Kevin Durant has popped up in the Rockets’ latest injury […] The post Kevin Durant lands on Rockets’ injury report before Lakers Game 1 appeared first on ClutchPoints.

For Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to come back this year, the Lakers have to win some games without them.

The Houston Rockets are heading into the 2026 NBA Playoff without home-court advantage as the No. 5 seed, but could have the perfect opportunity to make a deep run.

This is a lose-lose series for the Houston Rockets. If the Rockets win the series, then the narrative will be that the Los Angeles Lakers were hurt and of course the Rockets won. If Houston loses the series, they were frauds all along and will need to make wholesale changes this summer to retool around […]

The Lakers look to shock the world in their series against the Rockets, starting on Saturday.

The Los Angeles Lakers may be the higher No. 4 seed in their first-round series against the No. 5 Houston Rockets. However, they enter it as the firm underdogs, with 11 of 12 ESPN NBA experts backing Houston, and only two expecting the series to last seven games, per Yahoo Sports. This is in huge […] The post 4 Rockets bold predictions vs. Lakers in 2026 NBA Playoffs appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Lakers spent six months building and working toward the opportunity to make some noise in the playoffs. Luka Doncic made a move toward the Thunder's basket, but stopped suddenly and hopped gingerly off the floor with a strained hamstring. Austin Reaves had already been looking uncomfortable, periodically grabbing at the oblique muscles in his side, and he also left the court for good a few minutes later.

A breakdown of the biggest matchups in the Lakers vs Rockets first-round playoff series, including LeBron James vs Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson’s defense and Houston’s edge without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

JJ Redick and Jarred Vanderbilt reveal the Lakers' approach going into Game 1 against the Rockets on Saturday.