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The Houston Rockets were about 25 seconds away from sealing their first NBA playoff victory. Instead, they will have to make an unprecedented comeback.
The Rockets lost their six-point lead over the Los Angeles Lakers after costly turnovers and now trail three games to zero.
No team in the NBA has ever come back from this deficit, and to do so, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka sent a stern message to his team.
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Head coach Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets talks with Tari Eason during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Toyota Center in Houston on April 24, 2026. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
“Grow up,” he told the team after the loss. “You’re not that young anymore. You made the playoffs once and we watched every situation just now.”
Even with Kevin Durant out for a second game in this series – this time with a sprained ankle after missing Game 1 with a knee injury – the Rockets were able to close out the game after LeBron James suffered back-to-back turnovers that turned Houston into a 101-95 lead.
That’s when everything went wrong for the Rockets. Marcus Smart was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 25 seconds left in the fourth after a Houston turnover and made all three free throws to bring the Lakers within three.
Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka reacts during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on April 24, 2026. (Trojan Taormina/Imagn Images)
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James then stole the ball from Reed Sheppard, and his 3-pointer tied it at 101 with 13 seconds left in the fourth.
Los Angeles then outscored Houston 11-7 in overtime to earn a 112-108 victory.
James, 41, who had 29 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, played more than 45 minutes Friday night. He said that with top scorers Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves injured, he had no choice but to do everything he could.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers gestures during the pregame ritual before the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on April 24, 2026. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
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That feeling will have to run through the Rockets locker room if they want to make history.
