The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a stunning 107-98 win over the Houston Rockets in the opening game of their first-round playoff series, thanks in large part to a stellar performance from LeBron James, who notched 19 points and 13 assists. Luke Kennard also made his mark on the game, scoring 27 points - the second-highest tally for a player in their Lakers postseason debut - and a personal playoff best after joining the team from Atlanta in February. The Lakers capitalized on the absence of Kevin Durant, who was sidelined with an injury, but the highly anticipated matchup between James and Durant will have to wait. 'My role is to do a bit of everything, that's what the team needs from me,' James said.
'I need to be a triple threat, rebounding, passing, shooting, defending, and putting myself in a position to bring value to the team.' The game was also notable for being the first time James shared the court with his son, Bronny James, in a playoff game, with their family watching from the stands. 'There have been a lot of crazy things happening this year,' James added. 'But being on the floor with my son in a playoff game, that's probably the craziest thing that's ever happened in my career.' The Lakers' victory was fueled by their impressive shooting, with the team hitting 60.6 percent of their shots, while holding the Rockets to 37.6 percent.
The series continues on April 22, with game two tipping off at 3:30am, live on Sky Sports. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers kicked off the 2026 playoffs with a 126-113 win over the Toronto Raptors, thanks to a combined 46 points from Max Strus and James Harden. The Denver Nuggets also secured a win, with Nikola Jokic starring in their 116-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, while the New York Knicks took an early series lead with a 113-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
The 2026 NBA playoffs continue on Sky Sports this Sunday, April 19, from 6pm, with four games scheduled, including the Philadelphia 76ers at the Boston Celtics, the Phoenix Suns at the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Orlando Magic at the Detroit Pistons, and the Portland Trail Blazers at the San Antonio Spurs.