Game 1 is LeBron James' feeler outing to open up a series. The all-time great typically uses that matchup to study his opponent, get an idea for how they are going to guard him, and where the openings are. A lot of times, a James-led basketball team will concede that first head-to-head just to come back stronger. The latter was not the case on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Lakers comfortably secured an impressive 107-98 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 1. James was the catalyst. LeBron set the tone early, carving up the defenses with his playmaking in the first quarter.
James ultimately finished the night with 19 points, shooting 9-of-15 from the field, 13 assists, eight rebounds, two steals and one block in 38 minutes played. The Lakers star led his team in the plus-minus category, registering a +11 to end the night.
If this was the worst version of what James looks like against the Rockets, there should be a collective gulp coming from the Rockets' direction. Game 1 LeBron is just the appetizer. The full-course meal is still ahead for the Lakers.
Lakers should expect LeBron James to only level up from here
Before tonight's contest, James entered the series with a track record of having his lowest scoring outputs in Game 1s. For his career, LeBron averaged 25.9 points per game in the opening matchup of a playoff series before Saturday's tilt. Naturally, that mark will go down after his 19 points.
James had a lot of comfort operating as a playmaker against the Rockets in Game 1. If LeBron has already found his passing groove, it should only be a matter of time before the future Hall of Famer ramps up his scoring to match.
For the Rockets, that spells danger. James clearly has a plan of attack moving forward, too. Although, the Lakers star forward did not want to reveal exactly what that was in the postgame interview.
"I don't want to give up the game plan or what I see out there," James said. "It's a long series but my guys was able to put themselves in position. It's my job to get on the ball and the right possible position. ... So, my teammates were great."
Perhaps James will continue to be the conductor for the Lakers offense and try to have a repeat performance of something akin to Saturday where each of the starters for Los Angeles scored double digits. However, history does suggest a scoring uptick will soon follow.
The Rockets did not have Kevin Durant. They will hope that his possible return makes up the difference at some point in the series. The Lakers may also have a superstar waiting in the wings, though.
James has set the table perfectly for the Lakers jump on the 1-0 start. The Rockets, who likely thought they had a team dead in the water, should quickly be feeling major unease after Game 1, especially with the expectation that LeBron could have much more to give moving forward.
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