LeBron Does It Again: Lakers Stun Rockets In Historic OT Thriller; Take 3-0 Lead

Last Updated:April 25, 2026, 11:07 IST

LeBron delivers again with a monster OT performance as Lakers stun Durant-less Rockets 112-108 to take a 3-0 series lead.

LeBron’s heroics, aided by Smart’s gritty play in OT, helped sink Sengun’s Rockets in Game 3 (AP)

It’s him again. It always has to be him.

Despite logging a team-high 45 minutes in a draining overtime thriller, LeBron James once again delivered when it mattered most, powering the Los Angeles Lakers to a 112-108 win over the Houston Rockets — who now stare at a daunting 0-3 series deficit.

How It Slipped Away

The Rockets had one foot on the door late in the fourth, until chaos hit.

A Marcus Smart steal turned into three crucial free throws after a needless foul, trimming the deficit.

But then came the hammer blow.

Down three with 25 seconds left, LeBron ripped the ball loose, forced a turnover, and drilled a cold-blooded three with 13 seconds on the clock to tie it.

He nearly ended it in regulation, too, with a buzzer-beating heave that rattled out, sending the game into OT.

LeBron finished with a monstrous 29 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and a block.

Sengun’s Surge Goes to Waste

Credit where it’s due, Alperen Sengun — who put up 33 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists — gave Houston life.

His fourth-quarter explosion dragged the Rockets back from the brink, after Jabari Smith Jr. (24 points) and Amen Thompson (26 points) had already done the heavy lifting to keep things close.

But in crunch time, it wasn’t enough. And next thing you know, the Rockets have registered a loss for the ages — becoming only the second team in 29 years to blow a 6+ point lead in the final 30 seconds of regulation time.

Smart Shift Changes Everything

If LeBron was the headline, Smart was the turning point.

The former Boston Celtics guard was everywhere — 21 points, 10 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks — and relentless on defense.

In overtime, when legs were gone and nerves frayed, Smart took over — getting down and dirty on defense while also scoring eight of the Lakers’ 11 points to seal the win.

With injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves thinning the roster, the Lakers have found grit in unlikely places, and luckily for them, it’s working.

Game 4 heads back to Houston. History looms large: no NBA team has ever come back from 3-0 down.

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