LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 107-98 in a Game 1 match, largely due to the absence of key players such as Luka Doncic. Kevin Durant was unavailable due to a knee injury. Luke Kennard led the scoring with 27 points, while James finished with 19 points and 13 assists. All five starters scored in the game, including Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton. The Lakers also dominated from the field, shooting 61 percent and limiting the Houston Houston Rockets to 38 percent. The winner of the Lakers-Rockets series will face the champion of the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder and No. 8 Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Semifinals.