Rockets Stave Off Elimination with Dominant 115-96 Victory Over Lakers in Game 4
Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The Houston Rockets refused to go quietly into the night. Facing elimination and an 0-3 series deficit, Houston delivered their most complete performance of the playoffs with a commanding 115-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center on Sunday night.
Amen Thompson led the charge with 23 points, four rebounds, and seven assists, while Tari Eason contributed 20 points and eight rebounds in a balanced offensive attack that saw all five starters reach double figures. The victory forces Game 5 in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, keeping the Rockets’ playoff hopes alive.
« I’m proud of the guys, » Thompson said. « Backs against the wall, us coming to perform, but we know we can do that all the time. And I feel like today we were making shots. It’s the first time we were really making shots and we were capitalizing on the turnovers. »
Defensive Intensity Sparks Offensive Explosion
Houston’s transformation began on the defensive end, where they forced 23 Lakers turnovers and converted them into 30 points. The Rockets accumulated 17 steals, with Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., and Josh Okogie each recording three. This defensive pressure created the transition opportunities that had been missing in the first three games.
The Lakers’ ball security completely broke down, with LeBron James alone committing eight turnovers while managing just 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting. James, who had averaged over 25 points through the first three games, struggled mightily before being benched with 7½ minutes remaining.
« If we want to win this series, we have to protect the ball and we have to defensive rebound and we have to be able to obviously bring that toughness which we did tonight, » James said. « I’m not worried about that. But the turnovers obviously killed us from start to finish. »
The Rockets’ 3-point shooting, which had been a major weakness, finally found its rhythm. Houston connected on 12-of-30 attempts (40 percent) while limiting Los Angeles to just 5-of-22 (22.7 percent) from beyond the arc. Sheppard was particularly effective, hitting 4-of-7 3-points while finishing with 17 points.
Houston controlled the game from the second quarter onward, leading by nine at halftime before exploding for a 34-18 third quarter that put the contest out of reach. The Rockets led by 25 points entering the fourth quarter, prompting Lakers coach JJ Redick to clear his bench with over seven minutes remaining.
The Lakers received 19 points and 10 rebounds from Deandre Ayton before his ejection for a flagrant foul 2 on Alperen Sengun with 5½ minutes left in the third quarter. Sengun contributed 19 points on 50 percent shooting despite the hard foul.
« The focus was good today and I think just in general guys have pride, » Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. « You obviously don’t want to get swept. And we understood how well we played last game and that was a big picture and the perspective we had was we played a really good three quarters, don’t let that last 30 seconds take away from what you did and I think it was a good carryover tonight. »
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