The Los Angeles Lakers secured an overtime victory against the Houston Rockets on April 25, coming back from a six-point deficit with less than 30 seconds left in regulation. The win was marked by strong performances from LeBron James, Marcus Smart, and Rui Hachimura.
This game highlighted a shift in mentality for the Lakers compared to earlier in the season. In previous games, the team was known for their ability to perform under pressure but sometimes gave up when trailing late. After scoring 22 points, Hachimura said, “I think it was a mentality. We never give up. Especially in the playoffs, we always gotta fight through. If it was the regular season, I’m not gonna lie, we might’ve probably just let it go… We knew something was gonna happen and we fought through. That’s why we got that result.”
Hachimura credited Marcus Smart’s playmaking and the team’s experience in close games as key factors for their success. “Marcus made a big play, but we always make big plays in the last stretch, especially our defense,” Hachimura said. “That kind of stuff helps, little stuff that we don’t see in stats and all that. I think we’re used to it now. We’ve been in a lot of close games and we always finish strong.”
Instead of settling for a potential split on Houston’s home court after taking a series lead, the Lakers pressed forward and now hold a commanding 3-0 advantage heading into Game 4.
Head coach JJ Redick praised his players’ efforts during crucial moments of Game 3: “They both made big-time plays,” Redick said about James and Smart as well as Hachimura’s contributions late in the game. He continued: “Before the game, at halftime, we’ve talked for the last 10-plus days just about elevating everything and this was our first road playoff game and you have to elevate your poise… There were a lot of turnovers, but I thought our defense was fantastic… Smart made a huge play to get us into a one-possession game… Rui and Bron did a good job putting pressure on Sheppard and then we made the steal and ‘Bron hits a big-time shot.”
The Lakers are now one win away from advancing to the second round.