Why Houston's Game 4 Win Against Los Angeles Helps OKC Thunder

The Rockets extended their first round series against the Lakers with a victory in Game 4.

Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) gets a rebound away from Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia (12) during the third quarter during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The 2026 postseason hasn't gone well for the Houston Rockets.

The team dropped its first three games in a first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, a team who is without two of its main scorers in Austin Reeves and Luka Doncic.

In Game 3, the Rockets held a six-point lead with around seconds remaining and squandered the advantage on its home court. Houston has also been without Kevin Durant for three of its first four games, and was defeated in Game 2, the only contest Durant appeared in.

In Game 4 on April 26, though, the Rockets showed signs of life, taking down Los Angeles 115-96 to improve to 3-1 in the series. While it is extremely unlikely that Houston is able to come back and win the series, adding another game to the slate helps the Oklahoma City Thunder.

OKC has a chance to end its first round series against the Phoenix Suns on April 27 as the two teams meet for their own Game 4 showdown in Phoenix. For the Thunder, finishing off the Suns in four games would give the team a few extra days of rest before its upcoming series against the winner of Los Angeles' series against Houston.

Despite Oklahoma City's dominance against the Lakers throughout the regular season, the Thunder are currently without Jalen Williams, who suffered another hamstring injury in Game 2 against Phoenix and will be re-evaluated on a weekly basis.

With the Rockets extending their series against the Lakers, Los Angeles' opportunity to close the series out won't come until Wednesday night, two days after the Thunder can finish its series. Adding more time between the two series should give Williams more time to get healthy, and potentially make a return earlier in the second round of the playoffs.

To fully take advantage of the Rockets' Game 4 win, though, Oklahoma City will need to take care of business in its series against the Suns. Falling to Phoenix on April 27 would extend the Thunder's first-round series and give the team lest rest ahead of the second round.

Additionally, the longer both series continue, Doncic would have more time to return to Los Angeles' lineup, bolersting a group that has outperformed expectations through four games. With Reeves expected to return for Game 5, it seems likely that a matchup between the Lakers and Thunder is on the horizon for the next round.