LeBron James led the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers to a 98-78 victory over the Houston Rockets, winning their first-round playoff series 4-2 despite being heavy underdogs. The Lakers, missing Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić, face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder next, where they are +950 underdogs—the largest in franchise history since at least 1988. The Thunder swept the Lakers in four regular-season games, heightening the challenge for Los Angeles. Game 1 is set for Tuesday night.
