Marcus Smart leads Lakers to 101-94 Game 2 win over Rockets for 2-0 series lead
The Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 101-94 in Game 2 of their playoff series Tuesday night. Marcus Smart led the way with 25 points while shutting down Kevin Durant on defense. The Lakers now lead the series 2-0.
Marcus Smart put on a show for the Lakers in their 101-94 Game 2 victory over the Houston Rockets Tuesday night. Smart scored 25 points on red-hot shooting, going 61.5% from the field and hitting five three-pointers. He also grabbed seven assists, five steals and one block.
Smart's biggest impact came on defense, where he was tasked with guarding Kevin Durant after the Rockets star returned from injury. Smart picked Durant's pocket twice in the opening minutes and made life difficult for him all game long.
LeBron James nearly recorded a triple-double with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. His thunderous two-handed dunk with 55 seconds left sealed the win and prevented the Lakers from blowing a 15-point lead.
The Lakers got strong contributions throughout their lineup. Luke Kennard added solid minutes with six rebounds, two assists and three steals alongside his scoring.
With the 2-0 series lead, the Lakers have put the Rockets in a deep hole. The series now shifts to Houston for Games 3 and 4.
The Lakers are now two wins away from advancing to the next round of the NBA playoffs. A 2-0 series lead puts enormous pressure on the Rockets, as teams that go up 2-0 historically win the series about 90% of the time.
Game 3 will be played in Houston. The Rockets must win to avoid falling into a nearly insurmountable 3-0 deficit.
Was this article helpful?
0 people found this helpful