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If it feels like the first round of the NBA playoffs is taking longer than usual, that’s because it is. You should be happy about that! If you don’t love basketball, then you’re probably marginally interested in this article or the playoffs anyway, but that’s another conversation.
More hoops is always better for me and I’m glad these have been competitive and entertaining series.
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun drives to the basket on Los Angeles Lakers C Deandre Ayton in Game 1 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers head to Houston tonight to battle and try to close out their streak. I’ll start with the bad… If the Lakers lose it means this goes to a game 7. Anything can happen in these situations. If the Lakers lose that game, it 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’re LeBron James (who probably isn’t retiring anyway).
In Game 5, on their home court, the Lakers raced out to a big lead, but fell a little flat. They got a boost in 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’ll be fine.
The problem is, outside of Reaves and James, there is very little to be encouraged by from the Lakers. The team is not as good as Houston on defense and they are definitely the older team. It was important in their victory in Game 3, as the experience allowed them to overcome a six-point deficit to push the game into overtime and win.
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun dunks the ball on the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
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However, the youth of the Houston Rockets can also be a blessing. These games only have one day off in between. That leads to tired legs for both players, but the Rockets have an average age of 27.8, 11th in the league. However, the average age by minutes is lower.
It’s the other way around 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 with Reaves and Luka Doncic out, the team had to rely more on veterans.
The Rockets are without Kevin Durant, the one scorer they needed last season to make a nice run in the postseason. But their team seems to have found some identity over the last few games. They are now playing with house money. If they lose, the narrative will be that it’s because Durant got hurt. If they can win the series, it’s because they don’t have the same pressure they had at the start of the series, and it’s because the youth stepped up.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California on January 4, 2026. (Ronald Martinez/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 Game 3 put them on the back foot. 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 shut it out. Other than James, there aren’t many areas that I think they have an advantage over Houston. Reaves could come out and look significantly better in this game and that would make a difference, but the Rockets lean on smart shooting and defense. They will win and cover this one.
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