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Marcus Smart’s block. LeBron James’ dominant second quarter. Deandre Ayton’s relentless rebounding.
The individual performances in the Lakers’ ugly, but decisive 98-78 series-clinching win over the Houston Rockets on Friday were almost too numerous for coach JJ Redick to focus on each one.
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That collective spirit is also what makes him so confident heading into the Lakers’ first Western Conference semifinal appearance since 2023.
“For us to be written off a few weeks ago and to win a playoff series is a big deal,” Redick said after the Lakers polished off their first-round playoff series in six games. “And it just speaks to the character of our team and the leaders of our team. They didn’t let go of the rope.”
Read more: LeBron James leads Lakers’ rout of Rockets to close out series
After winning a series in which they were underdogs for every game they won, the Lakers return to the scene of their lowest moment to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals beginning Tuesday.
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The last time they were in Oklahoma City, the Lakers lost by 43 points. Their two best players sustained regular-season ending injuries, with news of Luka Doncic’s hamstring injury and Austin Reaves’ oblique strain coming on consecutive days after the loss. Still dazed from the emotional hangover, the Lakers lost their next two games.
“There was a lot of question marks,” Reaves said. “And just the way that we responded as a group, I think it just tells you a lot about the people that we have in our room. There’s no quit.”
The Lakers finished the regular season with three consecutive wins. They leapt out to a 3-0 series lead against Houston before letting doubt creep in again. After the Lakers squandered two chances to end the series, including a disappointing home loss Wednesday when Reaves returned from injury, critics wondered if the Lakers would really be the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 playoff lead.
James wouldn’t allow it.
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The superstar forward dominated with 28 points on 10-of-25 shooting, seven rebounds and eight assists. He outscored the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/theres-no-quit-lakers-leadership-100000327.html
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Publish date : 2026-05-02 10:00:00
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