The Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers begin their first-round series in Tinseltown, but with LA missing a couple of stars. Will the Rockets draw first blood in the series? Or, will the Lakers find a way to get the 1-0 lead?

Catch this game live on Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 8:30 AM, Manila time.

Away: Houston Rockets (0-0)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Amen Thompson
  • Reed Sheppard
  • Kevin Durant 
  • Jabari Smith Jr. 
  • Alperen Sengun 

The Rockets have a much healthier cast than Los Angeles, and they definitely will be looking to take full advantage of that right from the get-go of this series. Heading this crew is none other than Kevin Durant, who still has plenty of juice left. The future Basketball Hall of Famer averaged 26.0 points on 52 FG% during the regular season.

His supporting cast includes Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard, who all averaged at least 13.5 points this season. With Durant as the focal point, the Rockets finished ninth in the league with a 117.1 offensive rating, but they’re hardly all about scoring. 

They can take over the game with their defense, as evidenced by their 112.4 defensive rating — seventh overall. Without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for the Lakers, Houston’s vaunted perimeter defense could make life ever harder for Los Angeles to get buckets and find angles on offense.

Home: Los Angeles Lakers (0-0)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Luke Kennard
  • Marcus Smart
  • Jake LaRavia
  • LeBron James
  • Deandre Ayton

LeBron James will have to defy Father Time again if the Lakers are to get past the first round. With Doncic and Reaves sidelined, James likely has to carry an unfair load for a 41-year-old vet, but he’s not bereft of help either. 

Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Deandre Ayton will all have to step up. The Lakers are not going to replace the offensive impact of Doncic probably even if they duct tape those three together, but the trio still presents a threat, given their potential. 

Ayton will be a big factor for Los Angeles, as he’s expected to step up on both sides of the floor, especially in trying to contain Alperen Sengun. Kennard has to find his rhythm on offense after shooting just 30.8% from behind the ar in the last five Lakers games. Meanwhile, Hachimura has got it going, having averaged 16.6 points on 60 FG% and 61.1 3 FG% in the same stretch.

Picks

Spread: Los Angeles Lakers (+5.0)

Over/Under: Under (207.0)