Lakers beat Rockets in overtime for 3-0 lead in series, Celtics beat Sixers | Basketball News

The Los Angeles Lakers, fueled by 29 points from LeBron James, beat the Houston Rockets 112-108 in an overtime thriller to take a 3-0 stranglehold on their NBA playoff series.

James, the 41-year-old superstar who stars in his 19th postseason, came up with a steal attempt and a game-tying 3-pointer with 13.6 seconds left in regulation on Friday.

He couldn’t get a potential game-winner down at the buzzer, but added a steal and a block in a frantic overtime as the Lakers pushed the Rockets to the brink of elimination in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.

No NBA team has come back from an 0-3 deficit to win a playoff series.

“I’m just trying to seize the opportunity,” James, who added 13 rebounds, six assists and three steals, told broadcaster Prime. “My guys trust me to try to make plays and I’m blessed to be able to do that.”

The Lakers will have a chance to close out the series in Houston on Sunday. It’s not a position many expected them to be in with league-leading scorer Luka Doncic sidelined by a hamstring strain and key offensive contributor Austin Reaves with an oblique injury.

The young Rockets, with veteran star Kevin Durant sidelined by a sprained ankle, were led by Alperen Sengun’s 33 points and 16 rebounds.

They came back from an early 15-point deficit to lead by six with less than 30 seconds left in regulation.

But their mistakes caught up with them. A Houston turnover was followed by a foul on Marcus Smart as he attempted a 3-pointer.

Smart made all three free throws to cut the Lakers’ deficit to 101-98 and set the stage for James’ game-tying basket.

Sengun missed a potential go-ahead basket before James was off target from beyond the arc and they went to overtime, and Smart scored eight of his 21 points in the extra session as the Lakers pulled away.

Celtics hold off 76ers

Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 25 points to lead the Celtics to a hard-fought 108-100 victory over the 76ers in Philadelphia and a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference series.

The Sixers took game two in Boston to even the series at one game apiece.

In a game that neither team led by more than 10 points, the Celtics took a five-point lead into the fourth quarter.

Tyrese Maxey’s three-pointer briefly put the Sixers ahead 85-84 with 8:42 left, and Philadelphia was within one when Tatum hit a three-pointer that pushed Boston’s lead to 100-96 with 1:57 left to play.

Payton Pritchard added another three-pointer with the shot clock winding down before Tatum — who missed most of the season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in last year’s playoffs — drained a dagger that sealed it for Boston.

“We were just resilient,” Tatum told broadcaster Prime. “We stuck with it. It’s a game of runs – good team and fair enough, you have to answer.”

Maxey scored 31 points to lead the Sixers. Paul George added 18 and rookie VJ Edgecombe added 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Sixers star Joel Embiid, who is still recovering from emergency appendectomy earlier this month, was ruled out shortly before the game.

“He’s just not ready,” said Sixers coach Nick Nurse, whose team will try to even the series when they host Game 4 on Sunday.

Spurs beat Trail Blazers without Wembanyama

Stephon Castle had 33 points and the San Antonio Spurs overcame the absence of Victor Wembanyama to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 120-108 on Friday night for a 2-1 series lead.

Dylan Harper added 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who trailed by 15 points in the third quarter. Game 4 of the first-round series will be Sunday at the Moda Center.

Before the game, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson announced that Wembanyama will not play as he continues to recover from a concussion suffered in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

Jrue Holiday had 29 points for the Trail Blazers, who made their first home playoff game since 2021, but ultimately couldn’t take advantage of Wembanyama’s absence.

Portland led 82-67 in the third quarter, but the Spurs clawed back with a 21-5 run to take an 88-87 lead into the final period. Castle’s putback and a pair of free throws gave the Spurs a 105-95 lead midway through the fourth and the Trail Blazers collapsed.

Wembanyama — the league’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year and one of three finalists for the Most Valuable Player award — lost in the second quarter of the Spurs’ 106-103 Game 2 loss in San Antonio.

Johnson would not elaborate on Wembanyama’s condition, saying only that he was progressing. He averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-best 3.1 blocks per game this season. His status for Sunday’s game was not known.

Luke Kornet started against the Trail Blazers while Wembanyama watched from the bench and finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Portland went on a 15-2 run in the first half to take a 50-43 lead and led 65-59 at halftime after Jerami Grant’s 3-pointer.

In the final moments of the half, Fox was called for an offensive foul when he rushed to the basket and elbowed Deni Avdija in the face. Johnson challenged the call and it was overturned for a defensive foul on Avdija, who chipped a tooth but continued to play.