Believe Yet? Lakers Leave No Doubt In Stunning Comeback Win Over Rockets

LeBron James was exhausted. Marcus Smart was drained. Luke Kennard was invisible.

The Lakers were cooked, nan playoff magic yet drained from a squad without its 2 starring scorers, a squad successful nan process of making each conceivable mistake, reality bouncing disconnected their feet and ricocheting disconnected their hips and falling retired of their hands.

On a jarring Friday nighttime astatine Houston’s Toyota Center, nan Rockets led by six pinch 30 seconds remaining and had possession of nan ball. They conscionable needed to get it upcourt. They conscionable needed to play catch.

The Lakers were done.

And if you judge that, past you don’t judge what they believe.

They believed Smart would bargain a unspeakable backcourt pass, sorb a unspeakable shooting foul and make 3 free throws.

They believed James would sound distant a dribble connected nan adjacent possession, tally to beyond nan three-point line, return a walk from Kennard and descend a game-tying trey.

They believed successful nan occurrence of forcing this crippled into overtime, past believed successful nan destiny of a 112-108 victory to return an historically insurmountable three-games-to-none lead successful a first-round playoff bid they should person lost.

How frantic was that finish? In nan postseason complete nan past 29 years, NBA teams that led by six aliases much points successful nan past 30 seconds are now 1,713-2.

“It was conscionable a gutty triumph for us,” James said.

Gutty, gritty, growling, great, awesome win.

“Everything that we needed to do, moreover erstwhile it wasn’t pretty, we conscionable benignant of recovered a measurement to do it,” said coach JJ Redick. “And ... we’re playing hard. I mean, that’s what you person to do to put yourself successful a position to win.”

Lakers halfway Deandre Ayton, right, and defender Marcus Smart slap hands arsenic they observe successful overtime during their triumph Friday.

(Kenneth Richmond / Getty Images)

They are existent believers, this bunch, arsenic overmuch arsenic immoderate Laker squad has believed since nan 2020 title run, possibly much than immoderate different Lakers squad successful history.

They judge successful their legendary leader, LeBron. They judge successful nan playoff-tough Smart. They judge successful their connectivity, successful their desperation, successful their destiny.

They judge this is simply a typical team. Once they get their 2 injured scorers backmost — and Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic are apparently returning faster than anyone imagined — they judge this could beryllium a championship-contending team.

They will find retired successful nan adjacent round, erstwhile their force will beryllium either nan defending champions from Oklahoma City aliases nan the Phoenix Suns.

Even if they decorativeness disconnected nan Rockets successful a expanse — and this bid is already complete considering NBA teams are 159-0 pinch a 3-0 lead — they will beryllium sizeable underdogs moving forward.

Surely they were fortunate that prima Kevin Durant didn’t play successful 2 of these 3 games, including missing Friday’s Game 3 pinch a sprained ankle.

Surely they can’t support winning games pinch 21 turnovers and half arsenic galore violative rebounds and blown 15-point leads.

Surely that moreover if Reaves and Doncic return, they will revert to being nan aforesaid squad that mislaid to Oklahoma City by 43 points and mislaid to San Antonio by 16 successful their astir caller meetings while astatine afloat strength.

Surely they’re not this heavy and committed and inspired arsenic they’ve shown successful these first 3 games.

Right? Wrong. Were you watching?

The Rockets utilized galore Lakers mistakes and protect mistakes to return nan lead successful nan last 5 minutes and seemingly clasp it for a series-changing victory. The dagger appeared to beryllium a fastbreak dunk by Alperen Sengun to springiness nan Rockets a 101-95 lead and yet nan shot pinch nan crowd roaring and hardly 30 seconds left.

Little did they cognize nan Lakers had them correct wherever they wanted them.

“We’ve talked ... astir elevating everything,” said Redick, later adding, “You person to elevate your poise, you person to elevate your composure, recognizing that there’s going to beryllium moments wherever nan crowd’s going crazy aliases you get down, they make a run, immoderate it whitethorn be. We weathered a batch tonight. ... And then, successful that moment, conscionable to person nan poise to conscionable support playing.”

The Lakers had that poise. The Rockets mislaid their cool.

In that moment... what was Jabari Smith Jr. doing throwing a looping backcourt walk to apparently nobody? And aft Smart grabbed it and threw up a hopeless three... what was Jae’Sean Tate doing fouling him?

“I spot Tate moving really accelerated and I’m like, ‘OK, he astir apt not going to beryllium capable to extremity successful time,’” explained Smart. “So, I conscionable pulled up correct distant and he ran correct nether me, precisely what happened. So, it was a smart play. That’s portion of my vet, being a vet and my vet savvy. Been successful nan convention for 12 years. I picked up immoderate tricks from immoderate guys.”

Even aft nan vet’s 3 free throws, nan Rockets still could person easy won this, but... what was Reed Sheppard doing casually dribbling nan shot upcourt without noticing James down him? James knocked nan shot distant for nan steal, yet sewage it back, and drained a trey pinch 13 seconds remaining for nan eventual overtime-sending gut punch.

“We don’t person nan luxury of being passive aliases being complacent,” James said. “Our full mindset is we person to do everything it takes successful that peculiar crippled and that peculiar infinitesimal successful that peculiar possession successful bid for america to triumph hoops games, because we don’t person a agelong leash of error. We don’t person a batch [of room] for error.”

Once they reached nan other period, well, it was complete nan infinitesimal an angrily stunned Sengun threw a towel to nan level successful beforehand of nan Rockets’ chair moments aft nan extremity of regulation.

The Rockets were unnerved and yet undone.

Smart started nan other play by hitting a three, past kept nan Lakers’ mojo going pinch a flying prevention of a rebound that became a Rui Hachimura layup.

Soon thereafter James went to nan level fighting for a ball, past missed a changeable that Smart came retired of obscurity to drawback nan violative rebound, starring to 2 free throws that yet put nan crippled retired of reach.

Even connected a nighttime erstwhile James scored 29 points, had 13 rebounds, and threw an ally-oop walk to boy Bronny for a reverse layup — truthful cool! — nan leader present was Smart.

He was signed by nan Lakers past summertime for his postseason toughness and savvy, and he showed each spot of it Friday, pinch 21 points, 10 assists and 5 steals. Not to mention, 8 points successful overtime.

“You sewage to time off it each connected nan court, because you ne'er know,” Smart said. ”Because you ne'er know. It tin beryllium taken distant astatine immoderate moment, right? And pinch 2 of our champion players down, we sewage to play desperate. We sewage to beryllium nan astir hopeless squad and that’s really we person been playing and that’s really we are winning, right? The chemistry has been built because of that.”

It’s a chemistry that works. It’s a chemistry that has built a religion moreover amid Friday night’s immeasurably precocious hurdle, a religion that should persist beyond nan model of this vanished first-round series.

Down six. Thirty seconds left. Steal nan game. Steal nan series.

Believe.