Lakers risk blowing 3-0 series lead as Rockets advance to Game 7

If it seems like the first round of the NBA playoffs is taking longer than usual, that’s probably because it is. You should be happy about that! If you don’t like basketball, then you’re probably mildly interested in this article or the playoffs anyway, but that’s a different conversation.

For me it is always better to have more baskets and I am happy that they have been competitive and entertaining series.

The Los Angeles Lakers go to Houston tonight to fight and try to close their series. I’m going to start with the bad… If the Lakers lose, that means this goes to Game 7. Anything can happen in those situations. If the Lakers lose that game, that means they will be the first NBA team to blow a 3-0 lead.

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Not exactly the legacy or exit you’d want if you were LeBron James (who probably won’t retire anyway).

In Game 5, on their home court, the Lakers built a big lead, but failed. They got a boost with the return of Austin Reaves, but he was ineffective and looked like he hadn’t played competitive basketball in a month. Maybe in this second game back he will be fine.

The problem is that, outside of Reaves and James, the Lakers have very little to cheer up. The team is not as good as Houston on defense and they are definitely the older team. That was important in their victory in Game 3, as the experience allowed them to overcome a six-point deficit to take the game to overtime and take the victory.

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun dunks the ball over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. (Images by Kirby Lee-Imagn)

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However, the Houston Rockets’ youth could also be a blessing. These games have only one day off between them. That causes fatigue in the legs of both players, but the Rockets have an average age of 27.8 years, 11th in the league. However, the average age per minute is lower.

That’s the opposite for the Lakers, with a lower overall age, but higher in age per minute. This is important information as the core of the Lakers, especially since Reaves and Luka Doncic were/are out, the team had to rely more on veterans.

The Rockets are without Kevin Durant, the only scorer they needed last season to make a strong postseason run. However, his team seems to have found some identity in recent games. Now they play with the house’s money. If they lose, the narrative will be that it’s because Durant was injured. If they can win the series it is because they do not have the same pressure that they had at the beginning of the series, and it is because the young people took a step forward.

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on January 4, 2026. (Ronald Martínez/Getty Images)

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Just looking at the last three games, the Rockets have been the better team. I’d even be willing to argue that they were the better team in Game 2, but that’s more of a question. An epic collapse in the third game put them on the defensive. It would certainly help to have Durant around to make things easier, but he has been ruled out.

I really like Houston in this game. At this point, the pressure is on the Lakers to close the deal. Aside from James, there aren’t many areas where I think they have an advantage over Houston. Reaves could come out and look considerably better in this game, and that would make a difference, but the Rockets rely on smart shooting and defense. They will win and cover this one.

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