Lakers’ Luke Kennard getting MVP chants vs. Rockets is wildest thing of playoffs so far

The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off what was marked down as impossible before their series against the Houston Rockets, defeating Kevin Durant and company 101-94 in Game 2. LeBron James once again led the charge, but the likes of Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart also stepped up in a big way to help their team to a 2-0 lead.

The former even ended up receiving MVP chants from the crowd for his troubles, per a post on X by ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel. Kennard ended the game with 23 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists, going 3-6 from the three-point zone. Kennard explained post-game exactly what the Lakers’ thinking was during Game 2.

“We just kind of flipped the switch. We told each other, ‘This is what we got right now. We got to believe in what we have. We got to push each other, elevate each other and play as hard as we can,’” he explained per a post on X by Dave McMenamin.

“We just kind of flipped the switch. We told each other, ‘This is what we got right now. We got to believe in what we have. We got to push each other, elevate each other and play as hard as we can.’” – Luke Kennard on LAL regrouping after the Doncic/Reaves injuries pic.twitter.com/rDWrEZmJbH

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 22, 2026

Unlike Game 1, the Rockets were at full strength, with Durant leading Houston in scoring with 23 points, six rebounds and four assists. The night of course, belonged to LeBron James once again, who produced 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists across 39 minutes, including nine points in the fourth quarter.

James also had 14 free throw attempts, converting 10, and multiple highlights. That included a two-handed dunk at the 55.3-second mark to extend the lead to seven (99-92). Across two games, LeBron has now scored a total of 47 points alongside 20 assists and 16 rebounds.

Smart recorded 25 points, seven assists and five steals, marking his highest playoff scoring game since 2020. The Lakers once again outshot the Rockets from beyond the arc, going 46.4% from the field as they finished with 13 made shots from 28 attempts.

Through two games, the Lakers are shooting 48.9% from beyond the arc compared to Houston’s 29%, with Los Angeles making six more threes in Game 2 alone. Houston shot 7-of-29 (24.1%) from three in Game 2 and will need to improve quickly if they are to salvage the series.

Durant was restricted to just three points in the second half after scoring 20 in the first. The Lakers have defied expectations in the absence of Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic but now have two away games to traverse through.

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