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WarriorsHouston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers: Apr 18, 2026
Rockets vs Lakers final: the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 107-98 on April 18, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles.
Score by Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockets | 29 | 19 | 18 | 32 | 98 |
| Lakers | 33 | 17 | 25 | 32 | 107 |
Top Performers
Rockets
- 19 PTS Alperen Sengun
- 12 REB Jabari Smith Jr.
- 8 AST Reed Sheppard
Lakers
- 27 PTS Luke Kennard
- 11 REB Deandre Ayton
- 13 AST LeBron James
Rockets vs Lakers Box Score
Houston Rockets
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG | 3PT | FT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Okogie G | 26 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2-4 | 1-2 | 2-2 | -10 |
| Alperen Sengun C | 35 | 19 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6-19 | 0-2 | 7-9 | -2 |
| Reed Sheppard G | 35 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6-20 | 5-14 | 0-0 | -7 |
| Amen Thompson G | 43 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7-18 | 0-1 | 3-6 | 0 |
| Jabari Smith Jr. F | 43 | 16 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5-14 | 3-9 | 3-5 | -7 |
| Bench | |||||||||||
| Aaron Holiday G | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0-4 | 0-2 | 0-0 | -1 |
| Clint Capela C | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | -7 |
| Tari Eason F | 23 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7-7 | 2-2 | 0-1 | -6 |
| Jae'Sean Tate F | 9 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1-5 | 0-1 | 2-2 | -5 |
Los Angeles Lakers
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG | 3PT | FT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Smart G | 33 | 15 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5-12 | 1-5 | 4-8 | -5 |
| Rui Hachimura F | 41 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6-10 | 2-4 | 0-0 | +7 |
| Deandre Ayton C | 35 | 19 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8-10 | 0-0 | 3-3 | +7 |
| Luke Kennard G | 38 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9-13 | 5-5 | 4-6 | +7 |
| LeBron James F | 38 | 19 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9-15 | 1-2 | 0-2 | +11 |
| Bench | |||||||||||
| Jarred Vanderbilt F | 18 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0-0 | +4 |
| Bronny James G | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | +3 |
| Jake LaRavia F | 18 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1-3 | 0-1 | 4-4 | +9 |
| Jaxson Hayes CF | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2-3 | +2 |
Rockets vs Lakers Recap
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets with a 25-18 third quarter that turned a 2-point halftime lead into 9. The Lakers lead the Western conference first round series 1-0.
The Lakers led Rockets 50-48 at halftime and 75-66 after three quarters. Los Angeles shot 40 of 66 from the field, while Houston made 35 of 93. The fourth quarter ended 32-32, so the margin held.
Luke Kennard scored 27 points for the Lakers, and LeBron James added 13 assists. Alperen Sengun led Houston with 19 points. Jabari Smith Jr. grabbed 12 rebounds and Reed Sheppard handed out 8 assists. The Lakers made 10 of 19 three-pointers, and the Rockets made 11 of 33.
The number to know: 93. That is how many shots Houston took, 27 more than Los Angeles, yet it still trailed because only 35 went in.
Team Stats
| Rockets | Stat | Lakers |
|---|---|---|
| 35-93 | Field Goals | 40-66 |
| 37.6% | FG % | 60.6% |
| 11-33 | 3-Pointers | 10-19 |
| 33.3% | 3P % | 52.6% |
| 17-25 | Free Throws | 17-26 |
| 68.0% | FT % | 65.4% |
| 44 | Rebounds | 35 |
| 21 | Off. Rebounds | 3 |
| 24 | Assists | 29 |
| 13 | Steals | 7 |
| 3 | Blocks | 8 |
| 13 | Turnovers | 18 |
| 22 | Fouls | 25 |
| 2 | Biggest Lead | 16 |
Four Factors
| Team | Effective FG% | Turnover % | Off. rebound % | FT rate (FTM/FGA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Rockets | 43.5% | 11.1% | 39.6% | 0.183 |
 Lakers | 68.2% | 18.9% | 11.5% | 0.258 |
Dean Oliver's four factors decide most games: shooting, turnovers, offensive rebounding and free throws. Better side highlighted.
Rockets vs Lakers Game Info
- Date & time
- Saturday, April 18, 20268:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM PT
- TV
- National TVLocal: Rockets Space City Home Network · Lakers Spectrum SportsNet
- Arena
- Crypto.com ArenaLos Angeles
- Season
- 2025-26 NBA SeasonNBA Playoffs
Rockets vs Lakers Season Stats 2025-26
Regular-season averages; rank of 30 teams.
Recent Form & Head-to-Head
Rockets last 5
- W vs Grizzlies 132-101 Apr 12, 2026
- L vs Timberwolves 132-136 Apr 10, 2026
- W vs 76ers 113-102 Apr 9, 2026
- W @ Suns 119-105 Apr 7, 2026
- W @ Warriors 117-116 Apr 5, 2026
Lakers last 5
- W vs Jazz 131-107 Apr 12, 2026
- W vs Suns 101-73 Apr 10, 2026
- W @ Warriors 119-103 Apr 9, 2026
- L vs Thunder 87-123 Apr 7, 2026
- L @ Mavericks 128-134 Apr 5, 2026
Previous meetings
- May 1, 2026 Lakers @ Rockets 98-78
- Apr 29, 2026 Rockets @ Lakers 99-93
- Apr 26, 2026 Lakers @ Rockets 96-115
- Apr 24, 2026 Lakers @ Rockets 112-108
- Apr 21, 2026 Rockets @ Lakers 94-101
More NBA Games on Apr 18, 2026
- Final · Playoffs
Toronto Raptors2-1113
Cleveland Cavaliers1-1126Top: Mitchell 32 PTSBox score › - Final · Playoffs
Minnesota Timberwolves3-0105
Denver Nuggets1-1116Top: Murray 30 PTSBox score › - Final · Playoffs
Atlanta Hawks2-1102
New York Knicks0-3113Top: Brunson 28 PTSBox score ›
That covers Rockets vs Lakers: score, leaders and box score above. Next: Rockets host the Hawks Oct 26; Lakers host the Trail Blazers Oct 27.
Rockets vs Lakers FAQs
Who won Rockets vs Lakers on Apr 18, 2026?
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 107-98 on Saturday, April 18, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Luke Kennard led the Lakers with 27 points.
What are the Rockets and Lakers playoff records?
After this game the Rockets were 0-1 and the Lakers were 1-0 in the playoffs.
Who was the top scorer in Rockets vs Lakers?
Alperen Sengun scored 19 for the Rockets. Luke Kennard scored 27 for the Lakers.
Who leads the Rockets vs Lakers season series?
The Lakers lead the regular-season series 2-1 this season. In the playoffs the Lakers won the series 3-2.
Who won the last Rockets vs Lakers game?
The Lakers beat the Rockets 98-78 on May 1, 2026 on the road.
Where was Rockets vs Lakers played?
At Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the home arena of the Los Angeles Lakers.
What was the score by quarter in Rockets vs Lakers?
Rockets-Lakers: Q1 29-33, Q2 19-17, Q3 18-25, Q4 32-32.
What is next for the Rockets and Lakers?
Rockets host the Hawks on Monday, October 26 at 8:30 PM ET; Lakers host the Trail Blazers on Tuesday, October 27 at 11:00 PM ET.