The Los Angeles Lakers looked beaten, then LeBron James decided they were not. In a wild Game 3 in Houston, the Lakers erased a late six-point deficit, survived overtime and beat the Rockets 112-108 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-round series. James finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, but the numbers only tell part of it.
@opencourtLeBron James continues to defy the odds of aging. In Game 3 against the Rockets, James went for 29 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. These highlights are INSANE! 🤯🐐
The real story was the closing sequence, when he turned a near-loss into another entry in his endless postseason archive.
Houston had the game in its hands. The Rockets led by six with just 25.4 seconds left in regulation, only to unravel under pressure. Marcus Smart was fouled on a three-pointer and made all three free throws, then James produced the defining play: a steal, a step into rhythm, and a tying three with 13 seconds remaining. It was not just clutch shot-making. It was the full LeBron experience compressed into one possession: anticipation, strength, nerve and punishment.
The Lakers were still without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, which made the win feel even more improbable. Smart gave them 21 points and 10 assists, including eight points in overtime, while Rui Hachimura added 22. But this was James’ night because he gave Los Angeles the one thing a wounded team needs most: belief that the game is never actually over while he is still on the floor.
Houston had plenty of reasons to feel sick. Alperen Şengün was excellent with 33 points and 16 rebounds, and the Rockets played again without Kevin Durant. But playoff basketball is cruelest when it punishes young teams for tiny late mistakes, and Game 3 became a brutal lesson in closing. The Rockets did enough to win for 47 minutes. LeBron made sure the final minute belonged to him.
Now the Lakers stand one win from the second round, and Houston faces the kind of series math no NBA team has ever solved.
