Overview
- LeBron James led the Lakers past the Rockets 98-78 in Game 6 on Friday, closing the series 4-2 with 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
- The Lakers open the Western semifinals Tuesday in Oklahoma City against the No. 1 seed after clinching their first playoff series win since 2023.
- Los Angeles dropped all four regular-season games to the Thunder by large margins, and Luka Dončić is not expected back for the start, though Austin Reaves has returned from an oblique injury.
- The East’s first round now features three Game 7s this weekend after Detroit erased a 24-point hole to beat Orlando 93-79 and Toronto forced Cleveland to a decider on R.J. Barrett’s overtime 3-pointer.
- The NHL’s best first-round thriller continues after Tampa Bay beat Montreal 1-0 in overtime on Friday, forcing a Game 7 in a series defined by one-goal games and tight special-teams play.