What Elements Of The Rockets' Game 4 Win Are Repeatable?

The Houston Rockets found some success in different areas on the floor that could lead to more success in future games.

Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Luke Kennard (10) battle for a loose ball during the third quarter during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets found a way to avoid the sweep against the Los Angeles Lakers and now head back on the road with some new confidence and a sense of urgency. They also have some new evidence now that they have ways to compete against a handsy and aggressive Lakers defense.

While their offensive performance has been better the past few games, their success in Game 4 starts with their defensive performance. They held the Lakers to their lowest point total in the first quarter, which helped the Rockets keep the game in control from the earlier stages.

In many of their prior games, they held leads briefly in first halves that were mostly controlled by the Lakers. While Houston still had to battle in the first half of Game 4, they were able to keep the Lakers' shooters in check.

Luke Kennard and Rui Hachimura weren't as hot from deep range as they had been, making a slight regression to the mean after their incredible start to the series.

Offensively, the Rockets got a few improved shooting performances from across the board to help keep things moving. Reed Sheppard got a high percentage of his threes to drop and played much more confident overall. Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson continued their strong play in the paint from Game 3, and Thompson has started knocking down his mid range shot at a high volume.

When Thompson can knock down that shot, he places pressure on defenses by punishing them for dropping all the way into the paint. He generally shies away when the first few attempts don't drop, but it could be critical that he continues to attempt that shot in the middle of the floor when he is handling the ball. If the Lakers respond and try to guard it, it could open up dump off passes or lanes for him to get all the way to the rim.

The scoring effort from Aaron Holiday made a huge impact in Game 4, and Jabari Smith Jr. continues to be highly productive, even during somewhat of an off shooting night for the stretch big.

The Rockets have gained some new confidence in their abilities, and will try to recreate their success in Game 5. The Lakers will be trying to recreate their success from the first three games by knocking down a high volume of shots and deflecting as many passes and dribbles as possible. The onus is on the Rockets to try to push the series as far as it can go after dropping to the early deficit.