{"id":192143,"date":"2026-04-23T18:34:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T22:34:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=192143"},"modified":"2026-04-23T18:41:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T22:41:48","slug":"lakers-vs-rockets-game-3-preview-key-players-strategies-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/04\/23\/lakers-vs-rockets-game-3-preview-key-players-strategies-to-watch\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers vs Rockets Game 3 Preview: Key Players, Strategies to Watch"},"content":{"rendered":"

After the Lakers\u2019 Game 2 victory over the Rockets Tuesday night, head coach JJ Redick briefly acknowledged the critics who claimed the series would easily go in Houston\u2019s favor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know anybody said we had what it takes to win,\u201d <\/span>Redick said<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

He\u2019s right.<\/span><\/p>\n

Minus their top two scorers and filled with an unassuming supporting cast, it\u2019s easy to see why most fans and analysts <\/span>picked the Rockets<\/span><\/a> to advance. Yet after the first two games, LA has flipped the narrative, defending home court and giving Houston major problems heading into Game 3.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at notable players and tactics to monitor as the series lands at Toyota Center.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lakers vs Rockets Game 3 Preview: Key Players, Strategies to Watch<\/h2>\n

When and Where to Watch<\/h3>\n

Game 3 of the Lakers-Rockets series is on Friday, April 24, at 8 p.m. ET, streaming on Prime Video.<\/span><\/p>\n

Los Angeles Lakers<\/h3>\n

Step aside, <\/span>Luka Doncic<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Austin Reaves<\/span><\/a>, and welcome the Lakers\u2019 (temporary) new \u201cbig three.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

LeBron James<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Marcus Smart<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Luke Kennard<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The two veteran guards have broken out in LA\u2019s two wins, whether it was Smart\u2019s heart and hustle powering him to an <\/span>elite 25-point outing in Game 2<\/span><\/a>, or Kennard\u2019s lights-out shooting giving him an <\/span>average<\/span><\/i> of 25 points on 72.7% shooting from three.<\/span><\/p>\n

Those two will remain vital for LA in Game 3 and will continue to generate the brunt of the offense alongside James. If Reaves\u2014who was upgraded to questionable<\/a> Thursday afternoon\u2014ends up returning from his oblique strain, that makes LA\u2019s offense all the more dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\n

And don\u2019t forget about <\/span>Rui Hachimura<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Deandre Ayton<\/span><\/a>, who have also been reliable contributors on familiar stages.<\/span><\/p>\n

After coming off the bench in the second half of the season, Hachimura has returned to the first unit and hasn\u2019t missed a beat. Playing 85 of a possible 96 minutes in the series\u2019 first two games, he\u2019s put up an efficient 13.5 points on 55% shooting from the field and 50% from deep. Hachimura has also shown marked improvement defensively, boasting 1.5 steals and a block per game. In a season full of changes, \u201cPlayoff Rui\u201d may be here to stay.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ayton, in his season of redemption, seems to have put it all together at the perfect time. After a 19-point, 11-rebound opener, he was quieter in Game 2 but made a <\/span>decent impact<\/span><\/a> inside. He has played a key role in defending Houston\u2019s All-Star center, <\/span>Alperen Sengun<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>limiting him to 4-of-11 shooting<\/span><\/a> through the first two games. The 7-footer has looked like a legit lob threat next to James and Smart, and while his interior scoring is crucial going forward, his defense and rebounding will matter even more.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n

Key Strategy for LA<\/h4>\n

While the Lakers have been solid in executing Redick\u2019s two keys to the series (<\/span>\u201cTake care of the ball and box out,\u201d <\/span>he told team reporter Mike Trudell<\/span><\/a> last week), it\u2019s worth seeing if their defense against <\/span>Kevin Durant<\/span><\/a> emerges in Houston\u2014provided that Durant, who is <\/span>questionable with an ankle sprain<\/span><\/a>, actually ends up playing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Lakers regularly double-teamed the two-time champion Tuesday night, and while he still scored 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting, he complained about LA\u2019s strategy postgame.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re switching, and then just running a guy at me at the half (court line) or at the 3-point (line), or wherever I\u2019m at, to double,\u201d <\/span>Durant told reporters<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/i>We\u2019ve played this team before, and they know this is the way for them to stay in the game, is to play this type of defense. We\u2019ve got to make them pay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Lakers\u2019 swarming defense on KD forced other Rockets to play hero instead, and despite their best efforts, <\/span>they still fell short<\/span><\/a>. If Durant suits up, expect LA\u2019s double trouble to carry over as well, with stalwarts like James and Smart continuing to set the tone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Houston Rockets<\/h3>\n

LA expected Houston to <\/span>play desperate<\/span><\/a> in Game 2, and after <\/span>the Rockets dug themselves into a deeper hole<\/span><\/a>, that desperation will certainly increase.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Durant (if available) and Sengun will remain the focal points on offense, Houston will also look to <\/span>Amen Thompson<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Jabari Smith Jr.<\/span><\/a> for other sources of production. Thompson, a de facto facilitator in the absence of <\/span>Fred VanVleet<\/span><\/a>, has averaged 16.5 points and 8.0 assists in the series so far. Smith Jr. has made his presence felt on the perimeter (37% 3PT this series) and on the glass (9.0 rebounds per game, 3.0 offensive). Regardless of Durant\u2019s status, the two of them will be called upon to help Houston out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, after being a non-factor in Game 2, <\/span>Reed Sheppard<\/span><\/a> will be determined not to let lightning strike twice. The 21-year-old guard went 0-of-4 from the field, with three of those looks coming from beyond the arc. Although he still tallied three assists and a steal, it\u2019s a far cry from the sharpshooter who put up 13.5 points and buried 39% of his threes in 82 games (21 starts).<\/span><\/p>\n

The Rockets\u2019 aggression will be pivotal if they want to keep their hopes alive. It\u2019s not every day that a <\/span>top-eight offense<\/span><\/a> fails to hit the century mark in back-to-back playoff games. Just as the Lakers won\u2019t take their feet off the gas, expect a Rockets team hungry for redemption to make a statement from the opening tip.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key Strategy for Houston<\/h4>\n

After Game 1, <\/span>Thompson pointed to transition play<\/span><\/a> as a point of emphasis for the rest of the series.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust get it out off makes, off misses, get it out,\u201d <\/span>he said<\/span><\/a>. \u201cWhen me and Reed are in there, playing fast is to our advantage. So just doing that I feel like it\u2019s going to change a lot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On Tuesday, Houston scored <\/span>20 of their points on fastbreaks<\/span><\/a> (<\/span>21.2%<\/span><\/a>), barely beating the Lakers\u2019 17 and improving on the 11 they scored in the opener. Heading into Game 3, they\u2019re in the middle of the pack when it comes to <\/span>fastbreak points per game<\/span><\/a>, tied with the Boston Celtics at 15.5. The team\u2019s aggressive offense should lead to some opportunities to get out and run. Capitalizing on those moments will be key for the Rockets to start turning their fate around.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a9 Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After the Lakers\u2019 Game 2 victory over the Rockets Tuesday night, head coach JJ Redick briefly acknowledged the critics who claimed the series would easily go in Houston\u2019s favor. \u201cI didn\u2019t know anybody said we had what it takes to win,\u201d Redick said. He\u2019s right. Minus their top two scorers and filled with an unassuming […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4265,"featured_media":192158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,2,31,26,62,3],"tags":[50432,4293,4703,1419,69,38,769,428,1749],"class_list":["post-192143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-featured","category-rockets","category-lakers","category-nba","category-news","tag-2026-nba-playoffs","tag-alperen-sengun","tag-amen-thompson","tag-deandre-ayton","tag-kevin-durant","tag-lebron-james","tag-luke-kennard","tag-marcus-smart","tag-rui-hachimura"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=192143"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192143\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":192172,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192143\/revisions\/192172"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/192158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=192143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=192143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=192143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}