Rockets take off in Game 4, deny Lakers' sweep and force Game 5

Atlantic76ersCelticsKnicksNetsRaptorsCentralBucksBullsCavaliersPacersPistonsSoutheastHawksHeatHornetsMagicWizardsSouthwestGrizzliesMavericksPelicansRocketsSpursNorthwestJazzNuggetsThunderTimberwolvesTrail BlazersPacificClippersKingsLakersSunsWarriorsScores & ScheduleStandingsThe Bounce NewsletterNBA DraftPodcastsFantasyNBA OddsNBA PicksWhat Makes Up Championship DNA?Hollinger's Playoff PreviewPlayer Poll: Who is the MVP?Player Poll: Who Will Win Title?NBA Playoffs Tari Eason goes up to block a shot from Luke Kennard during the second quarter of Game 4. Tim Warner / Getty Images Share articleThe Houston Rockets played without Kevin Durant for the second straight game and third time overall in the first round, and this time they won without him. Amen Thompson finished with 23 points and seven assists, and the No. 5-seeded Rockets avoided a sweep in the Western Conference playoffs by defeating the No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers 115-96 on Sunday at Toyota Center to force a Game 5. Thompson, Alperen Şengün (19 points), Tari Eason (20 points) and Reed Sheppard (17 points) sparked the Rockets in the third quarter, helping them turn a nine-point halftime lead into 25 points in the third. It was midway in that quarter that Lakers center Deandre Ayton, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds, got ejected with a Flagrant 2 foul after striking Şengün in the head with his left forearm. LeBron James struggled, finishing with 10 points on 2-for-9 shooting and eight turnovers. He added nine assists and four rebounds. The Lakers played again without two of their best players in Luka Dončić (left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (left oblique strain). The Rockets bounced back after Friday’s 112-108 overtime loss at home in Game 3. With the Lakers holding a 3-1 series lead, they travel home to play the Rockets on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. Here are our immediate takeaways from Houston:  The Houston Rockets have a lot to work to do before anyone should believe momentum has fully swung in their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Even after Sunday’s 19-point blowout, Houston has a long way to go to dig itself out of the 3-0 hole it put itself in to begin with. But there’s no doubt one thing has shifted over the last two games: Houston’s defense is operating at an elite level, even without its leader, Durant. The Rockets have held the Lakers to 21 points or fewer in four of the last six quarters, excluding overtime in Game 3. They’ve also begun generating turnovers at a remarkable rate against a Los Angeles team still missing its two leading scorers, Dončić and Reaves. In Sunday’s win, Houston recorded 17 steals, tying a franchise playoff record. Eason delivered his best game of the series, finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds and five steals. He drew the primary assignment on James and helped limit the NBA’s all-time leading scorer to 10 points and nine assists on 2-of-9 shooting. James also committed eight turnovers for the second straight game. The Lakers are still overwhelming favorites to win the series, and it still could end in Game 5 when the teams return to Los Angeles on Wednesday. But the Rockets are getting back to what they do best: suffocating teams on the defensive end — Will Guillory, Rockets writer The Lakers hoped a slight amount of pressure would send the Rockets quietly into the offseason — that early aggression against Houston’s weaknesses might mask some of their own. Those hopes evaporated quickly, though, the Rockets not satisfied in going meekly into summer. Instead, Houston exploited the Lakers’ at all their weak points. The Rockets hounded ballhandlers, played with more speed and athleticism and benefited from a Lakers team whose heavy legs after Friday’s overtime win struggled to make shots. Now the series shifts back to Los Angeles with Houston knowing it can beat this version of the Los Angeles Lakers, whose offense has gone cold. The Lakers may still win the series, but they now know it won’t be handed to them — it will have to be earned. — Dan Woike, Lakers writer  Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms