Depleted Lakers take advantage of Kevin Durant-less Rockets in Game 1 victory

LOS ANGELES — Luke Kennard scored a career playoff-high 27 points, LeBron James had 19 points and 13 assists, and the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers capitalized on Kevin Durant’s injury absence for a 107-98 victory over the Houston Rockets in the opener of their first-round playoff series on Saturday night.

Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the fourth-seeded Lakers, who pulled off an impressive win without their top two scorers.

Both teams played the opener without their most important player. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have been out indefinitely with injuries since April 2, while Durant was a late scratch with a bruised right knee.

Lakers guard Luke Kennard (10) and center Deandre Ayton (5) celebrate during the second half of the Lakers’ 107-98 Game 1 win over the Rockets on April 18, 2026 in Los Angeles. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Los Angeles thrived by hitting 60.6% of its shots while holding the Rockets to 37.6% shooting with pesky defense.

Alperen Sengun scored 19 points and Jabari Smith Jr. had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who finished one game behind Los Angeles in the regular season.

LeBron James, who had 19 points and 13 assists, drives past Josh Okogie during the first half of the Lakers’ Game 1 win over the Rockets Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Amen Thompson added 17 points, but Houston’s young core got off to an inconsistent start after becoming the firm favorite in this series due to the Lakers’ injury woes.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles.