Rockets Have one Major Advantage as Lakers’ Series Continues

Houston has one final advantage over Los Angeles down three games to one.

Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) walks on the court before the start of the game against the Houston Rockets in game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

On Friday, the Rockets melted down, fumbling a six-point lead with just second remaining in Game 3, going down a gut-wrenching three games to zero.

No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit, with teams being 0-159 in those scenarios. The Rockets, likely without superstar Kevin Durant for the rest of the series, in addition to Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams, aren’t likely to be the team to do so. Especially given the youth they’ve shown through four games already.

Even Game 4, where the team ran out to a 115-96 win behind a two-way effort, wasn’t quite as sweet for Houston with the potential end of the season looming. 

Still, while the odds are massively stacked against them, there is one major key still in Houston’s favor, and it’s one that will compound the longer the series wears on. 

The Rockets are a far younger team. So far, that’s worked against them in the form of inexperience, and specifically late-game turnovers against LeBron James and the Lakers. But as the series heads to Game 5, it could start working in Houston’s favor.

The Rockets core-five of Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. are all 24 or younger, with fresh legs at this point in the season. That is in stark contract to the Lakers, who are led by 41-year-old James, with Marcus Smart at 32 and the rest of the rotation at 27 and above.

Even more, the Lakers are playing without two heavy minute-getters in superstar Luka Doncic and star guard Austin Reaves, likely for the rest of the series, leading to others needing to step into usage that they likely haven’t seen this season. 

That's tangibly shown in James' last two games, where he finished with eight turnovers apiece. In Game 4, he saw one of his worst outings across his storied career, scoring just 10 points on nine shots, and finishing with nine assists to the eight turnovers.

LeBron James tonight:

10 Points
8 Turnovers
2/9 FGM
0/3 3PM
-18 +/-
33 Minutes pic.twitter.com/kP9fs9ZVnB

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 27, 2026

The Rockets aren't likely to get a performance that bad from James ever again, but there will still be opportunity to take advantage of the Lakers' age and potential lack of energy across the board. And that will only accelerate if they can grab a crucial Game 5 win to keep their season alive.

Added pressure, in addition to added fatigue, could make things all the more interesting. Houston would need to be incredibly sharp in the upcoming bout, which has proven to be an issue through four games.

Game 5 will tip off on Wednesday, April 29 at 9 p.m. CT from Los Angeles, CA.