Ageless Lebron: James sets NBA playoffs record in Lakers’ Game 1 win over rockets

Despite missing several superstars, the Los Angeles Lakers opened the 2026 NBA playoffs with a gritty 107-98 victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night. Lebron James,41, dominated the floor, recording 19 points, 13 assists and 8 rebounds. 

In doing so, he became the oldest player in NBA history to record 10 or more assists in a playoff game.

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With key starters out, Luke Kennard stepped up significantly, scoring a career play-off-high 27 points and shooting a perfect 5-0-5 from three-point range. The Lakers were forced to play without Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Maxi Kleber.

However, the Rockets suffered a major blow before tip-off when star forward Kevin Durant was ruled out due to a right knee contusion suffered in practice.

“It's just our play-off mentality,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

“You can't worry about who's in or out of the line-up. It's our gameplan. It's our standards. It's how we play, and we've built towards that.

“I thought our guys just responded well and met the moment. That's the biggest thing. You've got to meet the moment in every game, and we were able to do that.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks all secured opening-day victories. The Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic officially booked their playoff spots after surviving the play-in tournament. 

On the other hand, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder are scheduled to begin their title defense against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night. 

The Lakers now hold a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game 2 scheduled for Tuesday night back in Los Angeles.