The Los Angeles Lakers opened their NBA Playoffs 2026 first-round series in strong fashion, defeating the Houston Rockets 107-98 in Game 1 at home. The matchup featured major absences, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined for the Lakers, while Kevin Durant unexpectedly missed the game for Houston due to a knee injury.
Unexpected hero leads Lakers in Game 1 playoff win
Luke Kennard emerged as the standout performer for Los Angeles, scoring 27 points on an efficient 9-of-13 shooting, while adding four rebounds and three assists. Kennard was acquired at the NBA trade deadline from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for guard Gabe Vincent.
Vincent, meanwhile, appeared for Atlanta in their Game 1 matchup against the New York Knicks earlier in the day, finishing with just two points and two assists in 15 minutes off the bench.
In fact, Kennard’s 27-point explosion already surpassed Vincent’s total playoff production with the Lakers (21 points across 10 games), according to ClutchPoints on X (formerly Twitter).
Kennard’s breakout performance came in a significantly expanded role due to the absences of Doncic and Reaves, with the veteran guard stepping up as a key scorer rather than a bench shooter as originally expected.
With the win, the Los Angeles Lakers take a 1-0 series lead in the NBA Playoffs, while the Rockets continue to monitor the status of Kevin Durant, whose potential return could be pivotal in Game 2.
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