LeBron James scored 28 points as the Lakers defeated the Rockets 98-78 to advance to the Western Conference semi-finals against the Thunder.
LeBron James delivered a standout performance with 28 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 98-78 victory over the Houston Rockets. The win secured a 4-2 series triumph for the Lakers, who had already led 3-0. Amen Thompson was Houston's top scorer with 18 points in the series-clinching game.
James emphasized the significance of stepping up in a close-out game on the road, stating: 'A lot of our guys, quite frankly, have not been in this position, have not been in a close-out situation, especially on the road, so it was important for me to go out and set the tone.' The 41-year-old veteran also extended his record of playing in 23 consecutive NBA seasons.
JJ Redick, the Lakers' coach, expressed deep admiration for James, saying: 'To me, he's had the greatest career of any NBA player. You can argue all you want; I don't care to postulate on who's the greatest of all time. He's one of, if not the greatest of all time, and for him to do it again and answer the bell again, it's baffling in some ways.'
The Lakers now face a tough test against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who topped the Western Conference and swept the Phoenix Suns 4-0 in the first round. The semi-final series between the Lakers and Thunder begins on Tuesday in Oklahoma City.
The Detroit Pistons staged a remarkable comeback to beat the Orlando Magic 93-79 and tie their first-round series at 3-3. Detroit trailed by as many as 24 points but capitalized after Orlando missed 23 straight field goals to force a deciding Game 7.
Detroit's Cade Cunningham, who scored 32 points, summed up the victory with: 'Never say die, simple as that. I mean, Detroit grit, it's what we've been talking about all year.' The Pistons' final game will be in Detroit on Sunday, with the winner facing either Cleveland or Toronto.
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-110 in overtime of Game 6, tying their series at 3-3. RJ Barrett's game-winning three-pointer, which bounced on the rim before dropping in with 1.2 seconds left, sealed the victory. Cleveland has won all previous games, and the deciding Game 7 will be played there on Sunday.