HOUSTON — With a pivotal offseason ahead, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka met with local media members on Monday for their “exit interviews.” There was much to address, considering how Houston’s 2025-26 season concluded in the first round of the playoffs and the team’s frustrating ups and downs throughout the […]
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From Luke Kennard’s Game 1 performance, to Marcus Smart’s offensive surge in Game 2, to Deandre Ayton’s play in Game 6, there were so many great moments for the Lakers during their series win over the Rockets. While LA’s victory lap has to come to an end as they prepare to face the Thunder in […]
The Houston Rockets were a relatively top-heavy ball club in 2025-26. Their only consistent performer was Kevin Durant, followed by Amen Thompson, although Thompson’s contributions extend far beyond the stat sheet. Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason were all major contributors. However, they weren’t exactly consistent contributors, as each of them […]
After a pair of frustrating first round exits in recent years, the Lakers exorcised some demons in a cathartic win over the Rockets. Awaiting them now, though, is the best team in the NBA in the Thunder. To say the Lakers had limited success against OKC in the regular season would be an understatement. In […]
The Rockets are not going to fire their GM or their Head Coach. Once you allow the emotion of the immensely disappointing end to the Rockets season subside, (and please take all the time you need) then you understand why they aren’t doing it, even if you think they should fire Rafael Stone and Ime […]
Before the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for superstar guard James Harden, there was reportedly another team that his representatives inquired about seeking a deal with: the Houston Rockets. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon, Harden’s team reached out to Houston to gauge their interest in acquiring the former MVP from the then-reeling Los Angeles […]
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. This past week’s question asked Rockets fans about Kevin Durant. Following a tumultuous season in which KD played […]
If you’ve spent any time watching the NBA Playoffs, especially the very dramatic L.A. Lakers vs. Houston Rockets playoff series that sadly ended with a Lakers win in game six on Friday night, you may have seen some speculation going around about Texans star Will Anderson Jr. and his uncanny resemblance to current Lakers’ guard […]
Occam’s razor is attributed to a 14th-century friar named William of Ockham. He doesn’t seem to be widely remembered for much else. The simplest explanation is: his idea that the explanation with the fewest elements is probably the most logical one was by far his best work. The Houston Rockets had a disappointing 2025-26 season. […]
After the final buzzer of Game 6 — and the final buzzer of the 2025-26 season for the Rockets — I stood near the locker rooms, waiting for players and coaches to enter one last time. Positioned between the home and visiting locker rooms at Toyota Center, I watched as both teams passed by simultaneously, […]
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Averaging 20.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, Alpern Şengün was the most impactful player for the Rockets against the Lakers this postseason. So, slowing him down and disrupting what makes him effective became critical for the Lakers in Game 6. In previous contests, the Lakers tried to double Şengün, which led him to find […]
If reports are to be believed, the Houston Rockets have already made a decision on one of the biggest questions of the offseason. According to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, the Rockets have “no plans” to move on from either Ime Udoka or Rafael Stone. The report says: “At this juncture, there are no plans to […]
There are two ways a team can lose to end the season: graciously and how the Rockets went out. With the result sealed for pretty much the whole fourth quarter, Houston had plenty of time to make a few questionable decisions. And to be fair, it was less the Rockets as a whole and more […]
As the Lakers were beginning their beatdown of the Rockets in Game 6 on Friday, the Raptors were helping them in a very dramatic way. In the final seconds of overtime in Toronto, RJ Barrett channeled his inner Tyrese Haliburton and connected on a three to force a Game 7 against the Cavaliers. For a […]
For a second consecutive playoffs, the Houston Rockets had their season end with a terrible offensive showing in a home elimination game at Toyota Center. In 2025, it came in Game 7 at the hands of Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. In 2026, it came in Friday’s Game 6 (recap) versus LeBron James […]
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In most circumstances, advancing out of the first round is hardly a celebratory situation, particularly for a Lakers franchise with banners aplenty hanging. It should be little more than the first of a string of checkpoints on the way to raising the Larry O’Brien trophy. But the win over the Rockets was not a normal […]
After blowing the opportunity to end the series in Game 5, the Lakers, on one day’s rest, came out determined to end the young and hungry Houston’s season Friday night. With a Game 7 looming, a Lakers defensive masterclass combined with offensive ineptitude from Houston led to just 31 first-half points for the Rockets, giving […]
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Well, the magic ran out last night for the Houston Rockets. After spending two games filling our hearts with the hope, the Rockets essentially laid an egg in Game 6, falling behind in the late first quarter after a somewhat decent start to the game, and they simply never got back into it. The Lakers […]
All season long, when faced with adversity, the Lakers have responded. When LeBron James missed the first 14 games due to sciatica, LA went 10-4 in his absence. After both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves went down late in the season, the Lakers fought hard to keep the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference. […]
After taking care of the Rockets in six games, the Lakers will move to the second round for a matchup against the league’s best team in the Thunder. The series will start on Tuesday, May 5. The defending champions ran riot through everyone not named San Antonio this season, then made quick work of Phoenix […]
After a couple of losses, the Lakers finally finished off the Rockets, beating them 98-78 in Game 6 to advance to the second round. Los Angeles went on an impressive 13-1 run to start the second quarter, giving them control of the game and they never looked back. Now the Lakers will face the defending […]
May 1, 2026 Location: Toyota Center – Houston, Texas TV: Amazon Prime Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español) Online: ESPN Time: 8:30 PM CST Probable Starting Lineups Rockets: Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun Lakers: Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Lebron James, Deandre Ayton
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LeBron James has earned his stripes. He has a longer rope than almost any NBA player. This is perhaps the best player in NBA history. He’s got this writer’s vote, and this writer can vaguely recall Michael Jordan’s last season with the Chicago Bulls, so… Well, unless you’re in your late 70s, you don’t recall […]