Rockets' Depth a Glaring Problem in Game 3 Loss to Lakers

Houston's starters stepped up in Game 3 against Los Angeles, but the true weakness within the team's depth.

Apr 24, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) reacts after a play during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Playoff basketball is a completely different game compared to the regular season. Games are typically lower scoring, with defensive impact being a major emphasis. The environment plays a huge factor, but so does the coaching strategy, and one similarity between almost all teams is that the rotations shorten.

Having depth is incredibly important, but teams aren't going to throw 11 players on the court each game. A healthy medium is an eight or nine-man rotation.

For the Houston Rockets, the depth has been completely shot amid Kevin Durant's absence in their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Game 3 was the Rockets' best shot at getting on the board in this series. Up 101-95 with 30 seconds to go in regulation, ESPN gave them a 96.6% win probability. From there, disaster struck, and six unanswered points from the Lakers sent it to overtime, where they'd eventually close it out and go up 3-0.

ESPN gave the Rockets a 96.6% win probability after going up 101-95 with possession, less than 30 seconds left in the 4th.

The Lakers, despite tying their lowest scoring half all season at 38 (vs. OKC, 11/12) still won in OT.

LeBron James (29 PTS, 13 REB, 6 AST) puts LA up 3-0.

— Jed Katz (@JedKatz_) April 25, 2026

Most of the starters exceeded expectations on Friday. Alperen Şengün led the way with 33 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and three steals, while Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. combined for 50 points, 17 rebounds and four steals. Reed Sheppard struggled (6-for-21 from the field), but his teammates made up for it.

Durant sat out Game 3 due to an ankle sprain, which put Tari Eason into the starting five. That left Houston's bench completely lifeless. The Lakers' second unit combined for 24 points. As for the Rockets? Three points on 1-for-10 shooting from the field with three turnovers.

The lack of production forced Ime Udoka to play his starters an average of 46.2 minutes. The Rockets' top contributors were visibly exhausted at the end of regulation. They had to close it out in 48 minutes. The irony of it all is that Jae'Sean Tate, a bench player, ignited Los Angeles' 6-0 run by fouling Marcus Smart with 25 seconds to go.

Eason came off the bench in the first two games of the series, but in reality, he should have been a starter over Josh Okogie. Through three games, he's averaging 10.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals. Even with Durant, Houston can only get efficient production from five players at most right now.

No team has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs, so it looks like Houston's season is dead in the water. With the offseason approaching, health is extremely important for the Rockets, particularly at the point guard position, but depth should be just as much of a priority.