The Lakers are absolutely focused on—necessarily—securing that playoff spot. Monday night’s 104-98 win over the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena really drove that home. With the Western Conference standings as tight as ever, head coach Darvin Ham (not JJ Redick) made one thing clear: the team has to approach each game with that sense of urgency if they want to control their own destiny.
Winning is the only way the Lakers will climb the ladder. And in the West, where every game is a battle, nothing comes easily. That win was especially significant because the fourth-place Lakers are right behind second-place Houston in the standings. How that victory played out—and why it could shape their postseason hopes—is what we need to look at.
LeBron James Delivers in Clutch Moments
LeBron James was his usual self as a closer. His stats weren’t crazy—16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists—but his late game heroics sealed the deal for the Lakers.
With 11.1 seconds left, James calmly hit two free throws to make it a 4 point game. Then he blocked Alperen Sengun with 8 seconds left to make sure Houston couldn’t come back.
“This year it’s so close and people are jumping each other, falling behind,” James said after the game. “Our mission is to lock in a playoff spot and not have to play in the play-in. So we know what’s at stake.”
Luka Doncic struggled through a tough shooting night with 20 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds but said his left elbow was “terrible” after several hard falls. But he said he’ll be ready for Thursday against the Warriors.
Role Players Shine in Key Moments
While James and Doncic got the headlines, the bench was huge. Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent were the difference makers, each scoring 20 points off the bench.
Finney-Smith had a season high, hitting 6 of 11 threes, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. He was all over the place on both ends of the floor, especially when he went up against Houston’s 6-11 center, Steve Adams. They exchanged shoves midway through the 3rd quarter and both got technicals, but Finney-Smith didn’t back down. He finished the night with 2 free throws with 3.2 seconds left to seal the win.
“It feels good when guys like [Doncic] and LeBron are telling me to shoot,” Finney-Smith said. “It could be the other way around.”
Vincent was also big, hitting 6 of 13 threes and 4 rebounds.
“I just go out there and compete,” Vincent said. “If you trust them [Doncic and James] to make the right reads, whatever it may be, and be ready to impact the game the best way you can.”
Rockets Fall Short Despite Strong Effort
The Rockets gave it their all, with Amen Thompson leading the charge on 20 points and Dillon Brooks adding 16. But that just wasn’t enough to overcome the Lakers’—and their defense, which really came alive when it mattered most.
That was the second time these two teams had met this season. Each had taken a win from the other. Their final matchup at Crypto.com Arena on April 11 could be the tiebreaker if the Lakers and Rockets finish with the same record. And that adds an extra layer of tension to their next meeting.
Playoff Seeding Implications
The Lakers’ win puts them 2 ½ games behind the second-seeded Rockets (49-27) and just one game behind the Denver Nuggets. Every game counts now. The last thing they want is to be stuck in that dreaded play-in tournament. “Everybody’s paying attention,” Finney-Smith said. “Let’s be honest: we don’t want that. So every game is huge for us.”
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