LeBron James and Lakers showcase their clutch-time prowess in Game 3 win - BERITAJA

HOUSTON — LeBron James tapped the shot distant from Houston’s Reed Sheppard. Marcus Smart fired a two-handed walk to James, who bobbled it and slapped it to Luke Kennard. Kennard faked a shot. He whipped a walk backmost to James.

Down 3 pinch 14 seconds near successful regularisation of Game 3 of the first information of the Western Conference playoffs Friday, James lined up a three. Two Houston players ran into each different while desperately trying to take sides the shot.

With the shot hanging successful the aerial and the crippled connected the line, was location ever a uncertainty connected the Lakers’ bench?

“Absolutely not,” defender Bronny James said. “It’s the Lakers.”

Already 1 of the league’s champion clutch-time teams, the Lakers stirred up magic again Friday, overcoming a six-point shortage successful the last 30 seconds of the 4th fourth to gain a 112-108 overtime win complete the Houston Rockets. The Lakers took a commanding 3-0 lead successful the best-of-seven bid and will spell for their first playoff bid expanse since the 2nd information successful 2010 connected Sunday successful Houston.

The Lakers already won 2 nervy roadworthy games complete the Rockets during the regular season. But the leader from those wins was dressed successful a crisp achromatic T-shirt and grey pants Friday. Luka Doncic, nursing a near hamstring injury, moreover took disconnected his achromatic overgarment during the melodramatic overtime. He had nary logic to interest pinch James astatine the helm.

The 41-year-old played 45 minutes and 4 seconds, deed the game-tying three-pointer pinch 13.6 seconds near successful regularisation and had a team-high 29 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Smart had 21 points, 10 assists and, for the 2nd consecutive game, 5 steals, including 1 pinch 27.8 seconds near successful regularisation that group up 3 captious free throws.

The veterans person played successful 406 mixed playoff games and, hoping to adhd different win, showed the mentality shaped done each one.

Lakers forwards Jarred Vanderbilt, left, and LeBron James observe aft their overtime against the Houston Rockets successful Game 3 connected Friday night.

(Michael Wyke / Associated Press)

“We’re conscionable trying to person that slayer mentality correct now,” said Smart, who had 8 of the Lakers’ 11 overtime points. “We sewage them connected the ropes and past it’s our occupation to effort to finish.”

The Rockets were hopeless to debar the dreaded 0-3 hole. They stormed backmost from a 15-point first-half shortage and took a one-point lead pinch 4:59 remaining connected a three-pointer from Sheppard. The Houston crowd, which did not capable up until good into the first quarter, erupted.

James turned the shot complete for the 4th clip successful the 4th fourth erstwhile Alperen Sengun tipped a bounce walk distant from Kennard. Sengun appeared to punctuate the season-saving triumph pinch a one-handed dunk complete James pinch 40.6 seconds near successful the 4th quarter.

In the moment, Lakers guardant Rui Hachimura admitted later, the Lakers felt a flimsy dip successful their energy. They needed thing to move the tide.

Smart intercepted a lazy walk by Houston guardant Jabari Smith Jr., and Jae’Sean Tate fouled the Lakers defender connected a three-point effort pinch 25.4 seconds left. He made each 3 free throws. The crowd grew restless. When James deed the game-tying three, those wearing the Rockets’ reddish T-shirts stood successful stunned silence.

A vocal number of Lakers fans were buzzing.

“Next play. Next play,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of the Lakers’ mindset during the captious stages of the game. “I mean, look, there’s a batch of things that happened coming that were not perfect. ... But you conscionable benignant of get onto the adjacent play. And that, to me, is simply a hallmark of poise; that’s a hallmark of composure.”

While the Lakers had the league’s champion grounds successful clutch clip games during the regular play (22-8), the Rockets classed 16th. With a 22-23 grounds successful games wrong 5 points successful the last 5 minutes, the Rockets had the fifth-most clutch-time losses. Only Indiana, Memphis, Brooklyn, Dallas and New Orleans had much specified losses.

Houston coach Ime Udoka called the foul connected Smart “terrible.” Instead of passing to a wide-open Sengun, Sheppard tried to divided a double-team connected the decisive turnover. Sengun’s effort astatine a game-winner erstwhile he sewage stood up by Jaxon Hayes connected a turnaround baseline floater wasn’t the play the Rockets drew up, Udoka said.

“Horrendous mistakes,” the third-year Rockets coach said. “I don’t want to opportunity younker aliases frightened of the infinitesimal aliases immoderate the case.”

The Rockets, who mislaid successful 7 games successful the first information of the playoffs past year, were without prima Kevin Durant for the 2nd clip this series. He missed the crippled pinch a sprained near ankle, an wounded he sustained successful the 4th fourth of Game 2. He was sidelined for Game 1 because of a knee contusion he picked up successful practice. The 37-year-old was remarkably durable this season, ranking 2nd successful the NBA successful minutes played. His beingness was a lifeline for a squad that mislaid constituent defender Fred VanVleet to a torn anterior cruciate ligament past September.

Durant was ruled retired about 90 minutes earlier extremity off. When told of the wounded update during his pregame news conference, Redick was not fazed. The Lakers cognize who they person connected their side.