Luka Doncic scored 39 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat Houston 140-109 and secured the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed.
The victory on 11 April 2025 gave the Lakers 50 wins, the Pacific Division title and their first direct playoff place since winning the championship in 2020.
Doncic powers an efficient Lakers attack
Doncic made 13 of 19 shots and added eight rebounds and seven assists before sitting out the fourth quarter.
Austin Reaves scored 23, Rui Hachimura had 16 and Dorian Finney-Smith made six three-pointers. The Lakers shot a season-best 60.9 percent.
LeBron James added 14 points and eight assists but left the game in the third quarter while holding his left leg. He later returned to the bench to celebrate with teammates.
Houston rests its leading players
The Rockets had already secured the second seed and rested seven rotation players, including Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet and Amen Thompson.
Cam Whitmore led Houston with a career-high 34 points, but the depleted lineup could not slow Los Angeles.
Lakers enter playoffs believing they can win
“I think we have the team to do it,” Doncic said of competing for the title. Reaves offered the same view, saying everyone in the locker room believed.
The players celebrated by emptying ice buckets over first-year coach JJ Redick. Beyond the jokes, securing third place gave Los Angeles rest, home-court advantage in the first round and the belief that the Doncic trade had raised its ceiling.
