LA Lakers vs Houston Rockets Live: NBA 2025-26 Match 2

The Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets are set to face off in Game 2 of the Western Conference first-round playoff series on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at 4:30 a.m. Local time in Los Angeles. The Lakers hold a 1-0 series lead after winning Game 1 on April 18, 2026, with a final score of 107-98 at Crypto.com Arena.

According to ESPN’s live coverage and game summary, the Lakers secured the opening victory through strong performances from their core roster despite significant injury challenges. Both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves were listed as out due to hamstring and oblique injuries respectively, with return dates estimated for May 1.

The Rockets entered Game 1 without Kevin Durant, who was sidelined with a knee injury, and also missed Steven Adams (ankle) and Fred VanVleet (knee). Despite these absences, Houston remained competitive throughout the contest, trailing by only nine points at the final buzzer.

In Game 1, the Lakers shot 50% from the field compared to the Rockets’ 48%, while Los Angeles outrebounded Houston 41.0 to 48.1? Wait — correction: the Rockets actually held a slight edge in rebounding at 48.1 to the Lakers’ 41.0. The Lakers committed fewer turnovers (8.3) than Houston (10.7) and recorded more assists (25.9 vs. 25.4).

Statistically, the Lakers were led by strong contributions from their supporting cast, as Dončić and Reaves were unavailable. Houston received notable production from Alperen Şengün, who averaged 8.9 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game during the regular season, and Jalen Green, though specific Game 1 point totals were not detailed in the available sources.

Both teams entered the playoffs with strong regular-season records. The Lakers finished third in the Pacific Division with a 53-29 record (.646 winning percentage), while the Rockets won the Southwest Division at 52-30 (.634). Houston held the tiebreaker over New Orleans and Dallas based on division record.

Game 2 will be televised nationally, with NBC and Peacock carrying the broadcast, as was the case for Game 1. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time, which corresponds to 4:30 a.m. Pacific Time on April 22.

The series continues with potential Games 3 through 7 alternating between Houston and Los Angeles, depending on the outcome. As of April 21, 2026, no further updates on player availability have been released beyond the initial injury reports from Game 1.