For LeBron James, his historic 162nd career playoff victory was a masterpiece. LeBron James passed Lakers legend, Derek Fisher, on the All-Time list for playoff victories on Tuesday night with a monstrous performance, in which he set the tone for his Lakers squad from the very beginning. LeBron James finished with 37 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four blocks, with three of them coming in the third quarter.
James came out with bravado, scoring 29 of his 37 points in the first half, and then he turned his elite basketball mind towards the defensive end, where he helped anchor a major shift in the Lakers defensive play after allowing 64 first half points to the fast-paced Rockets.
After scoring only 21 points in the third, the Lakers kicked things into gear in the 4th quarter, thanks to one of LeBron’s former playoff foes, Rajon Rondo. Rondo had 12 points in the 4th quarter and the Lakers had yet another great defensive quarter, holding Houston to just 38 points in the second half.
