The Los Angeles Lakers (50-31) rolled past the Houston Rockets (55-26) 140-109 on Friday, April 11, behind Luka Doncic’s 39-point performance and a dominant offensive showing that clinched both the Pacific Division title and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
Doncic, who added eight rebounds and seven assists, did all his damage in just three quarters before sitting out the fourth. Austin Reaves followed with 23 points, while LeBron James chipped in 14 before taking the rest of the night off midway through the third quarter.
The win marked just the second time in 14 seasons that the Lakers reached 50 wins and only their second division crown since 2012.
Houston rested seven of its top players, including Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Jabari Smith Jr., with their playoff position already locked in. Rookie Cam Whitmore made the most of the opportunity, scoring a career-high 34 points to lead the Rockets.
With the outcome never in doubt, Los Angeles stretched its lead to as much as 31 in the second half. Dorian Finney-Smith provided a lift from deep, knocking down six 3-pointers, while the Lakers’ defense held Houston to just 18 points in the third quarter.
Bronny James entered late in the fourth quarter, playing the final 4:23 in front of a home crowd that had plenty to cheer about.
The Lakers wrap up the regular season on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, April 13. The Rockets return home to host the Denver Nuggets in their finale.
