Plaschke: Can Lakers steal series? Anything is possible after Game 1 win - BERITAJA

The Lakers limped painfully into the playoffs Saturday nighttime only to delightfully observe a occurrence salve.

An force arsenic mangled arsenic they were.

Yes, the Lakers are opening this tourney earnestly hampered by the indefinite absences of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

But — surprise, astonishment — the Houston Rockets showed up pinch a bad limb of their own, a precocious suffered knee contusion that sidelined starring scorer Kevin Durant for astatine slightest the first crippled of this first-round series.

The result? Check retired the wide-mouthed shriek unleashed by the Lakers’ Luke Kennard midway done the 4th quarter.

The Lakers: Loud and astonishing and inspiring.

The Rockets: None of the above.

No Durant meant nary Laker problem, a perchance reliable conflict ne'er appearing successful doubt, the Lakers earning a 107-98 victory astatine Crypto.com Arena that represented the triumph of relationship complete confusion.

The Lakers were connected, apparently having had clip to set to the nonaccomplishment of their 2 starring scorers, LeBron James acting arsenic a superb playmaker for scorching basking shooters for illustration Kennard, who deed each 5 of his treys successful scoring a profession playoff-high 27 points.

The Rockets were confused, Durant being a precocious scratch and their onslaught being mislaid without him, Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson combining for 38 shots and a bunch of misses.

At 1 end, the Lakers were perfectly executing, the 41-year-old James becoming the oldest subordinate to person 13 assists successful a playoff game, Deandre Ayton missing only 2 of 10 shots inside, truthful overmuch nifty passing, truthful galore unfastened looks.

On the different end, the Rockets were a complete mess, dissolving successful 2 whining method fouls successful the 3rd 4th that sealed their fate.

Lakers halfway Jaxson Hayes, sprawled connected the court, reaches for a loose shot successful the overgarment during the first quarter.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The Lakers mightiness beryllium missing Doncic and Reaves but, man, the Rockets really, really, really missed Durant.

The Lakers were bully capable to triumph contempt being outrebounded 21-3 connected the violative glass. They were bully capable to past contempt committing 20 turnovers.

They were truthful businesslike contempt their evident deficiencies, 1 has to wonderment … could this 1 crippled blend into respective games? Say, arsenic galore arsenic 3 much wins successful this best-of-seven series?

Could the Lakers really bargain this first round?

At first glance, this consequence could mean nothing, conscionable 1 fortunate triumph by an injured squad against different injured team, the Lakers underdogs again successful Game 2 if Durant returns arsenic expected.

However, this consequence could besides mean everything, the Lakers gaining the assurance they request to conclusion the Rockets moreover pinch Durant, this being a crippled that could create the benignant of rich | belief that could consequence successful a deeper outpouring run.

Lakers halfway Deandre Ayton dunks betwixt 2 Rocket defenders successful Game 1.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Think about it. This crippled could beryllium a springboard to a bid triumph that would lead to a Western Conference semifinal bid successful 2 weeks. By that time, moreover though the likelihood are against it, let’s opportunity Doncic and Reaves effort to play and, moreover though the apt force would beryllium the NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder, who knows what happens?

It won’t happen. It can’t happen. It was precocious written successful this abstraction that it should ne'er happen, that the Lakers shouldn’t consequence further wounded by rushing backmost Doncic aliases Reaves, that they should hide about this play and attraction connected adjacent October.

Then again … who knew Kevin Durant would bang his knee? And who knew the NBA would agelong retired this first-round bid agelong capable to springiness Doncic and Reaves much treatment time?

Enough, enough. Let’s put a region connected each this speculation and conscionable bask what Saturday’s playoff opener wrought.

For the first clip since the 2 injuries, the Lakers were nosy again. For the first clip since they went 15-2 successful 1 agelong this spring, they seemed really really bully again.

After they blew a distraction-filled, first-round bid against Minnesota past season, coach JJ Redick has agelong preached to them about ignoring the sound and creating a singular playoff mentality. That mentality was successful afloat effect Saturday arsenic they played arsenic if they were astatine afloat strength, and the Rockets were astatine afloat strength, and they were conscionable the amended team.

“You can’t interest about who is successful aliases retired of the lineup,” said Redick. “Its our crippled plan, our standards, it’s really we play, we’ve built toward that.”

And frankincense bulldozed the hapless Houstoners.

“Our guys … met the moment,” he said.

Coach JJ Redick and the Lakers executed a crippled scheme to bargain Game 1 of their first-round playoff bid connected Saturday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

So did Redick, who deserves in installments for reacting to the precocious news of Durant’s absence, arsenic he and his esteemed coaching unit drew up effective adjustments connected the fly.

“There’s a batch that you person to do pinch Kevin,” Redick acknowledged. “You scrap that and move connected to each the different stuff.”

Meanwhile, the Lakers showed immoderate earnestly bully worldly early, coming retired firing successful the first quarter, scoring connected their first 3 shots, 8 of their first nine, and yet 16 of their first 20.

James was everywhere, moving the ball, mounting up his teammates, signaling an astonishing 8 assists successful the first quarter, his champion azygous assistance 4th among his 294 playoff games. All that, and during the 4th he flew into the baseline seats striving for a loose ball.

“He displayed awesome imagination throughout,” Redick said of James, who scored 19 points successful 38 minutes and was a team-high positive 11. “We talked each week about being connected offensively. He led america there.”

The reside had been group … and continued to beryllium group aft James made a flying pin-against-the-backboard artifact of Thompson successful the 2nd 4th … and past he really sewage large aft Houston took advantage of each those Lakers turnovers to return a little lead early successful the third.

James barked astatine Rui Hachimura, who screamed back, ‘What?’”

Lakers forwardLeBron James celebrates a handbasket complete Rockets guardant Tari Eason during Game 1 connected Saturday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Play better, that’s what. And that’s precisely what they did, Hachimura hitting a three, Kennard hitting a three, James scoring doubly connected back-in layups and past making a awesome bargain astatine midcourt. The ferocity of the Lakers reply rattled Houston specified that the Rockets were deed pinch 2 method fouls connected unbridled anger from Jae’Sean Tate and coach Ime Udoka. Then they absorbed further reproach connected a soaring blocked changeable by Jake LaRavia.

By the 4th quarter, this crippled was over, leaving it to Kennard to nonstop the crowd howling into the nighttime by supplying 3 fourth-quarter treys connected 3 attempts and making a Game 1 MVP retired of Rob Pelinka.

The Lakers embattled hoops leader smartly acquired renowned shooter Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks successful early February for Gabe Vincent and a second-round draught prime and … are you kidding me? Kennard was making half of his three-point attempts astatine the clip of the trade. How did Pelinka get him truthful comparatively cheap?

“I liked that he was aggressive,” said Redick of Kennard’s Saturday showcase. “There’s a snowball effect to that.”

Before this series, the Lakers had a snowball successful hell’s chance of winning it.

Now? Bundle up.