About this episode

The Lakers secured a significant Game 2 victory over the Rockets, showcasing strong defensive play and standout performances from LeBron James, Marcus Smart, and Luke Kennard.

We figured Kevin Durant would be back on the floor for the Rockets in Game 2, and we were correct. We figured that would mean Houston would crack 100 points... and we were wrong. The Lakers defense frustrated Durant, sending waves of bodies after him throughout the game, and save a red hot first few minutes, was held in check. LA dared anyone else to beat them, and the Rockets simply couldn't do it. Over and over, they smoked easy shots, made dumb plays, and more. Meanwhile, the Lakers found ways to get buckets when they had to. LeBron James was outstanding. 28 points, 14 trips to the line, eight rebounds, seven assists. Marcus Smart played his way into Lakers lore, with incredible defense, 25 points, seven dimes and true spiritual leadership. Luke Kennard followed up his 27 points in Game 1 with 23 on Tuesday. With the win, the Lakers don't just take real control of the series, they very likely do serious damage to Houston's psyche. The Lakers have 208 points in the series, and are a plus-16. Yes, they've played good, aggressive, attentive defense, but some of this is Houston being a really bad offensive team. And unless they can figure that out, the Rockets aren't going to…

People in this episode

Hosts: Andy Kamenetzky, Brian Kamenetzky

Topics covered

• NBA Playoffs
• Lakers vs Rockets
• Game Analysis
• Player Performance
• Defense Strategy

Keywords

• Lakers
• Rockets
• LeBron James
• Marcus Smart
• NBA Playoffs
• Game 2
• Kevin Durant
• defense
• basketball

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rockets, Lakers

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