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Turkish center Alperen Sengun led the Houston Rockets with 19 points, but his effort could not prevent a 107-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers as the NBA playoffs got underway.
Houston entered Saturday’s matchup in Los Angeles without Kevin Durant, who was ruled out shortly before tip-off with a bruised knee, leaving the team short-handed against a composed Lakers lineup.
LeBron James anchored the Lakers with 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds, opening his 19th postseason campaign with a steady double-double performance. The veteran forward guided a balanced offensive display, with all five starters finishing in double figures.
Luke Kennard paced the scoring with 27 points, shooting nine-of-13 from the field and making all five of his three-point attempts.
Head coach Ime Udoka explained that Durant picked up the knock during Wednesday’s practice and suggested the setback may be brief. "He tried it out and didn’t feel good enough," Udoka said, adding that scans revealed "nothing major."
Los Angeles was also missing key pieces, with Luka Doncic sidelined with a hamstring injury and Austin Reaves out with an oblique injury.
The Houston Rockets and Lakers meet again in Game 2 on Tuesday, April 21, in Los Angeles.
The Denver Nuggets overcame a physical start to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105, pulling away after halftime in a foul-heavy opener. Nikola Jokic posted a 25-point triple-double with 13 rebounds and 11 assists, while Jamal Murray added 30 points, including a perfect 16-of-16 from the free-throw line.
Minnesota stayed close early but lost ground in the second half. Anthony Edwards led with 22 points, and Rudy Gobert contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds.
In the East, the New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 113-102 behind Jalen Brunson’s 28 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 25.
The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Toronto Raptors 126-113, powered by Donovan Mitchell’s 32 points, extending his record streak of 30-point playoff openers, with James Harden and Max Strus adding key support, while RJ Barrett led Toronto with 24.
Those series continue with Game 2 on April 20, as the Denver Nuggets host the Minnesota Timberwolves, the New York Knicks face the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers meet the Toronto Raptors.
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