LeBron leads Lakers to 2-0 lead, Wembanyama enters concussion protocol

LeBron James kept the Lakers in control of the series, and Los Angeles kept answering every Houston push with another sign that postseason progress often depends as much on durability as star power. James finished with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists Tuesday night as the short-handed Lakers beat the Rockets 101-94 at Crypto.com Arena to move ahead 2-0 in the Western Conference first round.

The Lakers have now taken both games at home, opening the series with a 107-98 win on April 18 before following with another composed performance four days later. Marcus Smart provided a major lift in Game 2 with 25 points and five 3-pointers, while Luke Kennard’s 27-point outing in Game 1 set the tone for a group that has not needed perfect health to build a commanding lead. Game 3 is scheduled for Friday in Houston, where the Rockets will need to respond quickly after letting the first two games slip away.

Houston did get Kevin Durant back for Game 2 after he missed the opener with a bruised right knee, but the Rockets still could not slow James or fully recover the ground they lost in Los Angeles. The Lakers, seeded No. 4, have looked steadier than the No. 5 Rockets in the opening stretch, with their rotation pieces filling in around James at a time when many teams are still searching for postseason cohesion.

The other Western Conference series carried a much harsher reminder of how fragile these games can become. Victor Wembanyama was diagnosed with a concussion after a hard fall in the second quarter of San Antonio’s Game 2 against Portland on Tuesday and did not return. The Spurs placed him in the NBA’s concussion protocol, and coach Mitch Johnson said Wembanyama had a concussion and the team would take the proper steps.

San Antonio lost 106-103, evening the series at 1-1 after Wembanyama’s brilliant Game 1 debut, when he scored 35 points, the most by a Spurs player in a postseason debut. His absence changed the shape of the matchup immediately. Wembanyama had averaged 24.8 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks over 63 games this season, the engine behind a Spurs team that finished with the league’s second-best record. That combination of production and availability has made him indispensable, and the contrast with James was sharp: one veteran steadied a playoff race, while a rising star left his team suddenly exposed.