Houston Rockets vs Lakers Match Player Stats: Points, Rebounds & Assists

The Houston Rockets vs Lakers match player stats from the 2026 NBA playoffs tell the story of a six-game first-round series that the Los Angeles Lakers won 4-2, closing it with a 98-78 road victory at Toyota Center on May 1, 2026. Los Angeles finished the 2025-26 regular season at 53-29 as the fourth seed in the Western Conference, one game ahead of fifth-seeded Houston at 52-30, so the matchup arrived as one of the closest on paper. Both teams played without major names, with Kevin Durant and Fred VanVleet sidelined for Houston and Luka Doncic inactive for Los Angeles. This guide breaks down the points, rebounds, and assists from the deciding game, covers the key performances from the rest of the series, and explains which numbers actually decided the outcome.

Quick Answer: The Key Rockets vs Lakers Numbers

The Lakers eliminated the Rockets with a 98-78 win in Game 6 on May 1, 2026, taking the series four games to two. LeBron James led all scorers with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Deandre Ayton grabbed 16 rebounds. Amen Thompson led Houston with 18 points.

Here are the headline facts from the clinching game:

• Final score: Lakers 98, Rockets 78
• Venue: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
• Attendance: 18,055
• Top scorer: LeBron James, 28 points on 10-of-25 shooting
• Top rebounder: Deandre Ayton, 16 rebounds (13 defensive)
• Assist leader: LeBron James, 8 assists
• Houston’s leading scorer: Amen Thompson, 18 points and 8 rebounds

Houston Rockets vs Lakers Match Player Stats From the Series Clincher

Game 6 delivered the most decisive set of Houston Rockets vs Lakers match player stats in the series, as Los Angeles held Houston to 78 points and 35 percent shooting. The Rockets made just 5 of 28 three-point attempts, a 17.9 percent mark that left them with no way to keep pace.

The Lakers built control early. They led 23-18 after the first quarter and outscored Houston 26-13 in the second to take a 49-31 halftime lead. Houston won the third quarter 24-22 behind Thompson’s 10 points in that period, but Los Angeles answered with 27 points in the fourth to finish the job.

Player	Team	PTS	REB	AST	FG
LeBron James	LAL	28	7	8	10-25
Rui Hachimura	LAL	21	6	2	8-15
Austin Reaves	LAL	15	3	2	7-14
Deandre Ayton	LAL	7	16	1	2-6
Amen Thompson	HOU	18	8	3	7-14
Alperen Sengun	HOU	17	11	1	5-12
Tari Eason	HOU	14	5	2	5-14
Jabari Smith Jr.	HOU	9	12	3	3-11
Reed Sheppard	HOU	10	0	1	4-19

Lakers Player Stats in Game 6

LeBron James carried the Lakers offense in Game 6 with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists in 37 minutes. He scored 18 of those points in the first half, including 14 in the second quarter alone, which turned a close game into a comfortable lead. His usage rate sat at 36.9 percent, showing how much of the offense ran through him.

Rui Hachimura gave Los Angeles its most efficient performance of the night. He scored 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting and hit 5 of his 7 three-point attempts, good for a .700 true shooting percentage. Every one of his threes mattered on a night when Houston could not find its own range.

Austin Reaves added 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting and blocked 3 shots, an unusual defensive line for a guard. Deandre Ayton scored only 7 points, but his 16 rebounds anchored the Lakers’ edge on the glass. Marcus Smart chipped in 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks while posting a plus-25 rating.

The bench contributed in smaller ways. Jake LaRavia scored 7 points with 5 rebounds, Jaxson Hayes added 5 points and 4 rebounds, and Luke Kennard posted a plus-22 despite scoring only 3 points.

Rockets Player Stats in Game 6

Amen Thompson led Houston with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks in 44 minutes. He shot 7 of 14 from the field and 4 of 6 from the free throw line. Thompson was the only Rockets starter who consistently found good looks against the Lakers defense.

Alperen Sengun posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and he made 7 of 10 free throws. He struggled with 4 turnovers, though, and managed only 1 assist, well below his usual playmaking level.

Jabari Smith Jr. grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds but scored only 9 points on 3-of-11 shooting. Tari Eason added 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. Reed Sheppard had the roughest night on the roster, shooting 4 of 19 overall and 1 of 10 from three for 10 points.

As a team, Houston shot 28 of 80 from the field, committed 14 turnovers, and recorded only 13 assists. Those numbers reflect an offense that lacked a reliable shot creator once its stars were unavailable.

Game-by-Game Results From the 2026 First Round

The Lakers won Games 1, 2, 3, and 6, while the Rockets won Games 4 and 5. Three of the six games were decided by single digits, which shows how competitive the series was before the final night.

Game	Date	Result	Location
1	April 18, 2026	Lakers 107, Rockets 98	Crypto.com Arena
2	April 21, 2026	Lakers 101, Rockets 94	Crypto.com Arena
3	April 24, 2026	Lakers 112, Rockets 108	Toyota Center
4	April 26, 2026	Rockets 115, Lakers 96	Toyota Center
5	April 29, 2026	Rockets 99, Lakers 93	Crypto.com Arena
6	May 1, 2026	Lakers 98, Rockets 78	Toyota Center

Los Angeles opened with a 3-0 lead, including a four-point win in Houston in Game 3. The Rockets then strung together two wins to force a sixth game before the Lakers closed it out.

Game 5 Box Score: Rockets Win in Los Angeles

Houston won Game 5 by a 99-93 score at Crypto.com Arena on April 29, 2026, cutting the series deficit to 3-2. Jabari Smith Jr. led the Rockets with 22 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 4 of 9 from three, and added 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Tari Eason scored 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Amen Thompson filled the stat sheet with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals in nearly 46 minutes. Alperen Sengun came close to a triple-double with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists, and Reed Sheppard added 12 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals.

Ball movement made the difference. Houston recorded 25 assists and 10 steals, and it made 14 of 40 three-point attempts. Los Angeles shot just 7 of 27 from deep and committed 15 turnovers, with Marcus Smart responsible for 6 of them.

On the Lakers side, LeBron James scored 25 points with 7 assists. Austin Reaves came off the bench for 22 points, making 12 of 13 free throws despite shooting 4 of 16 from the field. Deandre Ayton turned in one of the best big-man games of the series with 18 points and 17 rebounds, 10 of them offensive.

Game 4 Box Score: Houston’s Defense Takes Over

The Rockets avoided a sweep with a 115-96 rout of the Lakers in Game 4 at Toyota Center. Amen Thompson scored 23 points and Tari Eason added 20, and Houston played the game without Kevin Durant.

Defense drove the result. Houston recorded 17 steals, which tied the franchise’s best postseason mark since the league began tracking steals in 1973-74. The Lakers turned the ball over more than 20 times, and LeBron James alone had 8 turnovers to go with 10 points and 9 assists.

Los Angeles actually shot better from the field, around 50 percent compared with Houston’s 48 percent. The Rockets made up the gap from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 30 threes while the Lakers made just 5 of 22. Houston also went 25 of 31 at the free throw line. The Rockets outscored Los Angeles 34-18 in the third quarter to put the game away.

Deandre Ayton was the Lakers’ best performer with 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting and 10 rebounds. Rui Hachimura added 13 points.

Team Stat Trends That Decided the Series

Three-point shooting and rebounding decided this series more than any single star performance. In the games Houston won, it shot well from three. In the clinching loss, it made only 5 threes, and Los Angeles won the rebounding battle 54 to 45.

Rebounding. Deandre Ayton gave the Lakers a steady presence inside. He grabbed 17 rebounds in Game 5, 10 in Game 4, and 16 in Game 6. That consistency forced Houston’s frontcourt of Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. to battle for every possession.

Turnovers. Houston thrived when it forced mistakes. Its 17 steals in Game 4 and 10 steals in Game 5 created easy transition points. In Game 6, the Rockets managed only 6 steals and committed 14 turnovers of their own.

Shot creation. With Durant and VanVleet out, the Rockets leaned on young players for scoring. Thompson, Eason, Smith, and Sheppard all had big nights, but rarely at the same time. The Lakers relied on LeBron James to create, and he delivered 25 or more points in both Game 5 and Game 6.

Missing Stars and Their Impact on the Box Score

Injuries shaped the Rockets vs Lakers numbers on both sides. Official box scores list Kevin Durant, Fred VanVleet, and Steven Adams as inactive for Houston in Games 5 and 6, and Luka Doncic as inactive for Los Angeles.

Durant’s absence removed Houston’s most reliable half-court scorer. Without him, the Rockets attempted many contested jumpers late in the shot clock, which helps explain Reed Sheppard’s 4-of-19 night in the clincher. VanVleet’s absence removed a veteran ball handler who could have reduced turnovers.

For Los Angeles, losing Doncic placed a heavier load on James and Reaves. James answered by acting as both the primary scorer and the primary passer, which shows up in his combined 15 assists over Games 5 and 6.

How the Rockets vs Lakers Rivalry Has Played Out

The Lakers have now beaten the Rockets in their two most recent playoff meetings. In the 2020 Western Conference semifinals, Los Angeles defeated Houston in five games on the way to the franchise’s 17th championship, and the 2026 first round extended that pattern.

The Houston Rockets won back-to-back NBA titles in 1994 and 1995, and they returned to the playoffs in 2026 under head coach Ime Udoka with a young core built around Thompson, Sengun, Smith, Eason, and Sheppard. Their regular-season meeting with Los Angeles on March 16, 2026, ended in a 100-92 Lakers win in Houston, a preview of the defensive, low-scoring style that defined the playoff series.

The Los Angeles Lakers, coached by JJ Redick, reached the second round with the win and faced the Oklahoma City Thunder next. The series also marked one of the final playoff stretches of LeBron James in a Lakers uniform, as he later announced that he would play the 2026-27 season with a different team.

For more on the lives of NBA players away from the court, read our profile of Valerie Guiliani, the wife of Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell. Fans who follow coaching families across professional sports may also enjoy our story on Debby Belichick, the former wife of longtime NFL coach Bill Belichick.

What to Watch When the Teams Meet in 2026-27

The next Rockets vs Lakers meetings will look different because of roster changes on both sides. Houston opened the 2026-27 season with four straight wins, beating Dallas 128-110, San Antonio 114-110, and Atlanta twice, by scores of 121-114 and 120-110.

The Rockets also return in a new look. On June 4, 2026, the franchise rebranded its logo and uniforms, bringing back the red and yellow color scheme it used from 1971 to 1995. Both regular-season matchups are on the 2026-27 schedule, with one game at Toyota Center and one at Crypto.com Arena.

Key stat lines to track in the rematch:

• Amen Thompson’s scoring. He topped 15 points in Games 4, 5, and 6 and looks ready for a larger offensive role.
• Alperen Sengun’s playmaking. His 8-assist game in Game 5 showed how dangerous Houston is when he runs the offense.
• Lakers frontcourt rebounding. Ayton’s glass work was a major edge in the playoffs.
• Three-point volume. Houston won both games in which it made 12 or more threes.

How to Read an NBA Box Score Correctly

An NBA box score lists each player’s minutes, points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers, and shooting splits, and reading them together gives a fuller picture than points alone. For example, Reed Sheppard scored 10 points in Game 6, which looks reasonable until you see he needed 19 shots to get there.

Look at these columns first:

1. FG and FGA. Field goals made and attempted show efficiency.
2. 3P and 3PA. Three-point makes and attempts show spacing and shot selection.
3. TRB. Total rebounds, split into offensive (ORB) and defensive (DRB).
4. TOV. Turnovers often explain why a team lost possessions in key stretches.
5. Plus-minus (+/-). This shows the score change while a player was on the floor, and Smart’s plus-25 in Game 6 reflects his defensive impact even with 7 points.

Advanced numbers add more context. True shooting percentage combines twos, threes, and free throws into one efficiency figure, which is why Hachimura’s .700 mark in Game 6 stands out. Usage rate shows how many team possessions a player finished while on the court.

Conclusion

The 2026 Rockets vs Lakers series ended with Los Angeles winning four games to two, and the box scores show exactly why. LeBron James delivered 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists in the clincher, Rui Hachimura added 21 efficient points, and Deandre Ayton controlled the glass throughout. Houston’s young core, led by Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun, pushed the series to six games without Kevin Durant and Fred VanVleet, winning Games 4 and 5 with sharp defense and strong three-point shooting. With LeBron moving on and Houston off to a 4-0 start in 2026-27, the next meetings between these two teams should produce very different numbers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the 2026 Rockets vs Lakers playoff series?

The Los Angeles Lakers won the 2026 Western Conference first-round series against the Houston Rockets four games to two. Los Angeles took the first three games, Houston answered with wins in Games 4 and 5, and the Lakers closed the series with a 98-78 road victory in Game 6 on May 1, 2026.

Who scored the most points in Game 6 of Rockets vs Lakers?

LeBron James scored a game-high 28 points in the Lakers’ 98-78 Game 6 win over Houston. He shot 10 of 25 from the field and added 7 rebounds and 8 assists in 37 minutes. Rui Hachimura added 21 points, while Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 18 points and 8 rebounds.

Did Kevin Durant play in the Rockets vs Lakers series?

Kevin Durant did not play in the final three games of the series. Houston played Game 4 without him, and official box scores list him as inactive for Games 5 and 6. Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams were also inactive for the Rockets in the closing games of the series.

Who led the Rockets in rebounds in Game 6?

Jabari Smith Jr. led Houston with 12 rebounds in Game 6, and Alperen Sengun added 11 rebounds to go with 17 points. Their work on the glass was not enough, because Deandre Ayton pulled down 16 rebounds and the Lakers won the overall rebounding battle 54 to 45.

Where can I find official Rockets vs Lakers box scores?

You can find complete Rockets vs Lakers box scores on NBA.com, ESPN, and Basketball-Reference. These sources list minutes, points, rebounds, assists, shooting splits, and plus-minus for every player. Basketball-Reference also provides quarter-by-quarter splits and advanced numbers such as true shooting percentage and usage rate.