The Los Angeles Lakers have knocked out the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs following a 98-78 win in Game 6 at Toyota Center on Friday. The Lakers once again managed to shut down the Rockets offense here, and head coach JJ Redick sang his team’s praises in his postgame press conference.
“I would start with the collective,” Redick said, via the NBA. “I remember there was a press conference that we did after one of our games during our 16-2 stretch, and you guys were really hammering home a point about a specific player, and I honestly can’t remember who the player was, and I made the comment, I said the reason our team is winning is because of our team.
“Because each guy is starring in his role and contributing to winning,” Redick continued. “And that’s the story of this playoff series for us, where each guy had moments that helped us win the game. I thought the collective tonight was awesome, especially defensively. Jaxson [Hayes] and [Deandre Ayton], with the adjustment we made going into Game 5, made a small tweak to some [Alperen] Sengun stuff this morning. Those guys were just phenomenal defensively and really did a great job of protecting the rim.”
With Luka Doncic missing the entire series due to injury and Austin Reaves only featuring in the final two games, the Lakers were going to need their role players to step up and help LeBron James. They did just that.
First, it was the Luke Kennard show in Games 1 and 2. Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura then shone in Game 3, and the latter excelled here in Game 6 as well. Hachimura had 21 points on the night, as he went 5-7 from beyond the arc.
Deandre Ayton did a fine job guarding Rockets star Alperen Sengun for much of the series as well. Sengun had 17 points on just 5-12 shooting from the field in this one.
With the supporting cast holding up their end of the bargain, James was able to lead the Lakers to victory. The 41-year-old had 28 points (10-25 FG), seven rebounds, and eight assists in Game 6.
James finished the series with averages of 23.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game. Redick praised him and Smart not just for how they played, but also for their leadership.
“Second point I would make is just how important leadership is, and where this group was a few weeks ago, coming off the first Oklahoma City game, the Dallas loss, the second Oklahoma City game,” Redick said. “It felt bleak, and whether it was LeBron, Smart, AR doing everything he could to come back and give us that lift.
“Each guy in some way led us, and just really proud of the group,” Redick continued. “And I’m a big believer in life that you should celebrate every victory, you should celebrate small wins. For us to be written off a few weeks ago and to win a playoff series is a big deal, and just speaks to the character of our team and the leaders of our team that they didn’t let go of the rope.”
All seemed lost for the Lakers when Doncic and Reaves went down with injuries during the 139-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2. They’d lose their next two games as well, and it looked like we might see a free fall here. Redick and his players deserve credit for steadying the ship and pulling off this incredible series victory against the Rockets.
The Lakers will now face the Thunder, the defending champions, in the Conference Semifinals. James looked ahead to the matchup after the win and made it clear they’ll be ready for the challenge.
