The Los Angeles Lakers showed the mental toughness of a champion on Friday night in Houston, pulling off an improbable overtime victory over the Rockets despite playing a very flawed game from start to finish.
The Lakers committed 20 turnovers on the evening, including during some crucial moments, but they refused to let these mistakes affect the next play, a mindset that head coach JJ Redick discussed following the epic win, which gave LA a commanding 3-0 series lead.
JJ Redick credits Lakers' poise following miraculous Game 3 win
"(In) the first road playoff game ... you have to elevate your poise," Redick said. "You have to elevate your composure ... We weathered a lot of turnovers ... You just got to get on to the next play. That. to me, is a hallmark of poise. That's a hallmark of composure."
The Rockets appeared to have secured the Game 3 victory with under a minute left in regulation when LeBron James committed a bad pass turnover, leading to an Alperen Sengun dunk and a 6-point Houston lead with just 40.6 seconds left to play.
Many teams in the Lakers' shoes would have conceded a loss at that point, but this LA team is different. They moved on to the next play. After two further missed shots (a LeBron 3 and a missed tip shot from Jaxson Hayes), the Lakers were in even deeper trouble as the Rockets secured a rebound with only 34.4 seconds remaining, still up six.
That's when Marcus Smart did what Marcus Smart does. Sensing the enormity and desperation of the moment, Smart stole an errant pass from Jabari Smith Jr. and then coaxed a foul out of the Rockets' Jae-Sean Tate while hoisting a 3. What's more, Smart stepped up to the line and knocked down all three free throws, making it a one-possession game.
Marcus Smart's never-say-die mentality fuels Lakers
With 25.4 seconds to go, the Rockets were still in the driver's seat with possession of the ball. But the Lakers were simply focused on the next play, and Houston wasn't nearly as locked in. When Reed Sheppard foolishly attempted to split a LeBron-Rui Hachimura double team in the backcourt, LeBron poked the ball from behind and Smart gained possession, leading to an ice-in-his-veins 3-point bucket from James with 13.1 seconds left. LeBron nearly won the game in regulation with another 3 that rimmed out as time expired.
In overtime, the Lakers overcame some ridiculous made shots from Sengun and Sheppard. Smart continued making winning plays (including a big 3), and ultimately, LA was the team with much more poise. The experience of guys like Smart, LeBron, and Hachimura was a stark contrast to the rattled, frantic style of Houston's younger core during crunch time. It's a problem that the Rockets have had all season long, and it reared its head yet again.
But youth isn't a great excuse. Young players with adequate poise can step up and overcome their lack of experience. Bronny James did so in Game 3, hitting an important 3 and finishing an alley loop layup from LeBron all in one sequence. Bronny's five points ended up being crucial in what became a close game in the end, and the younger James outscored Houston's entire bench.
Add us as a preferred source on Google