LeBron James scored 28 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 101-94 in Game 2 on a night when the game tilted late and stayed in the Lakers’ control. James, 41, delivered 14 of his points in the fourth quarter and sealed it with a wide-open dunk with 55 seconds left that pushed Los Angeles ahead by seven.
The win came in a game that kept the Rockets at arm’s length throughout, with James adding eight rebounds and seven assists to give the Lakers the steadier finish. Marcus Smart added 25 points and provided one of the early tone-setters when he stripped Kevin Durant and dove for a loose ball, a reminder that this was not just a star-heavy game but a possession-by-possession fight.
Durant returned to the court for Game 2 after missing Game 1 with a right knee contusion suffered in practice, and the 37-year-old finished with 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists. But after halftime he managed just three points and committed five turnovers, a stretch that underscored how difficult it was for Houston to keep pace once the Lakers’ defense settled in.
This was the first postseason meeting between James and Durant outside the NBA Finals, and all 14 of their previous playoff matchups had come on the league’s biggest stage. James’ win in Game 2 added another chapter to a rivalry that had already swung back and forth through the years, with Durant still holding a 9-6 lead in postseason meetings. Luka Dončić was out for the Lakers, which made the performance from James and Smart even more important.
For Houston, the concern is not just the 94 points it was held to, but how little margin it found once Durant’s second-half production dried up. The Rockets now have to answer whether their offense can hold up against a Lakers team that has already shown it can control the game without perfect conditions.
