The Los Angeles Lakers shrugged off their harm worries to make a successful begin to the NBA play-offs.
The 18-time champions had been with out key gamers Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Maxi Kleber however 41-year-old LeBron James produced one other high-quality show in a 107-98 win over the Houston Rockets.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks had been the opposite winners on day one of many play-offs, whereas the Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic gained the play-in match to e-book their locations.
James managed the ground whereas racking up 19 factors, 13 assists and eight rebounds in opposition to a Houston facet who misplaced key man Kevin Durant to harm simply earlier than play began.
“It is simply our play-off mentality,” Lakers coach JJ Redick stated.
“You’ll be able to’t fear about who’s in or out of the line-up. It is our gameplan. It is our requirements. It is how we play, and we have constructed in direction of that.
“I assumed our guys simply responded effectively and met the second. That is the most important factor. You have to meet the second in each sport, and we had been in a position to do this.”
Luke Kennard continued to step up as a starter with a profession play-off excessive 27 factors because the Lakers took the opening sport within the best-of-seven collection.
Durant, 37, has a bruised knee and will return for sport two on Tuesday night time.
Defending champions Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder start their marketing campaign on Sunday night time in opposition to the Suns.
