Rockets crush Lakers 115-96 to avoid playoff exit

Amen Thompson scored 23 points, Tari Eason added 20, and the Houston Rockets avoided elimination with a 115-96 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of their Western Conference playoff series on Sunday night, News.Az reports, citing AP.

Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

The Rockets secured their first win of the series after falling into an 0-3 deficit, doing so without Kevin Durant for a third consecutive game. Durant sat out again with a sprained left ankle after also missing Game 1 due to a bruised right knee.

Houston’s balanced offense was key, with every member of the starting lineup scoring at least 16 points. Alperen Sengun contributed 19 points, Reed Sheppard added 17, and Jabari Smith Jr. finished with 16.

The Lakers were led by Deandre Ayton, who recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds before being ejected with about 5½ minutes remaining in the third quarter. He received a Flagrant 2 foul for striking Sengun in the head. His performance was not enough to help Los Angeles close out the series, especially on a night when LeBron James struggled.

James finished with 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting, along with nine assists and eight turnovers, before heading to the bench with about 7½ minutes left. This came after he scored 19, 28, and 29 points in the first three games. However, he was not alone in his struggles, as the Lakers collectively made just five 3-pointers after hitting a combined 35 in the previous three games.

James went 0-for-3 from beyond the arc, Marcus Smart missed both of his attempts, and Luke Kennard also went 0-for-3.

Houston started strong, bouncing back from a disappointing 112-108 overtime loss on Friday night in which they squandered a six-point lead in the final 26 seconds of regulation.

The Rockets held a nine-point lead at halftime and opened the third quarter with a 12-4 run to extend their advantage to 68-51 with about 8½ minutes remaining in the period.

During that stretch, Sheppard knocked down two 3-pointers while Thompson added four points.

Houston pushed the lead to 19 later in the quarter and then closed the period on a 9-3 run, taking a commanding 90-65 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Rockets extended their lead to 23 with about 7½ minutes left, prompting coach JJ Redick to empty the Lakers’ bench.

Ayton’s ejection came midway through the third quarter after he was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for making contact with Sengun’s face using his elbow and forearm. The referee described the contact as “unnecessary and excessive.”

Durant was present on the bench Sunday night to support his teammates after missing Friday’s game, when coach Ime Udoka said he was undergoing treatment for his injured ankle.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev