The Los Angeles Lakers have an NBA playoff berth to chase at the end of the season. Perennial wonder LeBron James ignited postseason expectations in a big way on Monday. This all happened after the Houston Rockets put up a poster of Jabari Smith Jr.
Smith attempted to time his jump and execute a block near the rim. Except James blew this jam early in the first quarter.
41-year-old LeBron James played Jabari Smith Jr. 🤯pic.twitter.com/5hu3t1Ovaf
– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 17 March 2026
Los Angeles took a 13-11 lead during that transition sequence. Then there was a back-and-forth with other aspiring Western Conference playoff contenders.
LA went ahead 41–38 after a James Poster dunk about seven minutes into the second quarter. But Kevin Durant was able to make two free throws with less than four minutes remaining to give Houston a 46–45 lead.
How LeBron James, Lakers performed in the first half
Monday’s matchup inside Toyota Center offered a potential playoff preview.
Los Angeles is the third-best team in the West behind the San Antonio Spurs (49-18) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (53-15). But the Lakers entered the week of St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness on a five-game winning streak.
Houston and Durant, meanwhile, are the fourth-place team in the Western Conference, trailing the Lakers. The Rockets enter with an overall record of 41-25 and defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 107-105 on Friday.
However, despite the strong dunks, James was limited in scoring. He scored only four points in 13 minutes. The four-time NBA champion dished out two assists and grabbed one rebound.
Luka Doncic handled the scoring load for the Lakers and scored 23 points in the first half with less than 2:40 remaining in the second half. Houston took a 57–51 lead at halftime.
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