Here is the depth chart and all the lineups JJ played in Game 1. (listed mainly in defensive order) 4/18/26 vs Houston Rockets Defensively: Smart (33.5)/ LaRavia (5.5)/ Vando (5)/ Bronny (4) Kennard (38)/ Vando (6)/ LaRavia (3.5) Rui (34)/ LaRavia (9)/ Vando (5) LeBron (38)/ Rui (7.5)/ Vando (2.5) Ayton (35)/ Hayes (13) 1Q 12:00-6:11 Smart/Kennard/Rui/LeBron/Ayton 5:49 +3 6:11-2:52 LaRavia/Kennard/Rui/LeBron/Ayton 3:19 +1 2:52-0:21 Smart/Kennard/LaRavia/Vando/Hayes 2:31 +0 0:21-0:00 Smart/Kennard/LaRavia/LeBron/Hayes 0:21 +0 2Q 12:00-10:03 Bronny/LaRavia/Vando/LeBron/Hayes 1:57 +3 10:03-9:30 Bronny/Vando/Rui/LeBron/Hayes 0:33 +0 9:30-8:10 Bronny/Vando/Rui/LeBron/Ayton 1:20 +0 8:10-6:22 Smart/Vando/Rui/LeBron/Ayton 1:48 -1 6:22-5:46 Smart/Kennard/Rui/LeBron/Ayton 0:36 +0 5:46-2:07 Smart/Kennard/LaRavia/Rui/Ayton 3:39 +0 2:07-0:00 Smart/Kennard/Rui/LeBron/Hayes 2:07 -4 3Q 12:00-6:09 Smart/Kennard/Rui/LeBron/Ayton 5:51 +2 6:09-5:15 LaRavia/Kennard/Rui/LeBron/Ayton 0:54 +2 5:15-4:02 LaRavia/Kennard/Rui/LeBron/Hayes 1:13 +3 4:02-1:41 Smart/Kennard/LaRavia/Rui/Hayes 2:21 +1 1:41-0:03 Smart/LaRavia/Vando/LeBron/Hayes 1:38 -1 0:03-0:00 Smart/Kennard/Vando/LeBron/Ayton 0:03 +0 4Q 12:00-6:54 Vando/Kennard/Rui/LeBron/Ayton 5:06 +5 6:54-5:50 Smart/Kennard/Vando/Rui/Ayton 1:04 -3 5:50-3:22 Smart/Vando/Rui/LeBron/Ayton 2:28 +1 3:22-0:15 Smart/Kennard/Rui/LeBron/Ayton 3:07 -3 0:15-0:00 Smart/Kennard/LaRavia/Rui/LeBron 0:15 +0 What a great game. Almost every lineup was good. Starters opened halves well, going +3 & +2. Gave back a little at the end going -3 when we were up double digits. Kennard/Rui/LeBron/Ayton were the best combo, going +10 for the game. Smart and LaRavia did well next to those 4, but interestingly, the player that did the best with them +/- wise was Vando. The unit that particularly boosted our lead was Vando/Kennard/Rui/LeBron/Ayton, going +5 for the 1st 5 min of the 4th, where we took the lead to double digits and kept it there for most of the 4th. LaRavia was the most versatile, with almost every different unit he was in being positive. LaRavia/Kennard/Rui/LeBron/Center went +6. I like that JJ always had at least 2 of LeBron, Smart, and Kennard on the floor, except for 4 Bronny minutes that he got to play with his dad. And the Bronny minutes still went +3! When things are rolling, they're really rolling. Almost nothing negative to say about this game, except Hayes being meh. Yes, Durant didn't play, but there were a lot of positives in this game that are repeatable, even against Durant. We beat them twice in March holding Durant to 18 each time. Luka and Austin out hurts our offense, but we should be able to still play the same defense on Durant. I'm guessing the game plan will still be to double Durant and deny him shots, even if this means doubling Sengun less. But if Ayton can play like he did last night, then we would still have a chance of holding both Durant and Sengun to reasonable numbers. So I'm not counting Game 2 as an auto-loss even if Durant is healthy. Yes, the Rockets would be likely to win, and the Lakers might feel less pressure after taking Game 1, but I want us to get greedy. Take both. We're the home team, it's not outlandish to say that we can go up 2-0. Let's do this! And even if not, they got the split and bought time for Luka and/or Austin to come back in Game 4 or 5. I'm feeling the best I have since the Luka and Austin injury news, about the Lakers chances to win this series.
