LeBron James has an unmatchable impact on winning, says Lakers coach Frank Vogel
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Wednesday 9 September 2020 11:47, UK
Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel said "nobody impacts winning more than LeBron James" after 'The King' earned a record-breaking 162nd postseason victory in his team's Game 3 triumph over the Houston Rockets.
James added another record to his resume as he continues his chase for a fourth career title.
Nobody has played in as many NBA playoff victories.
James scored 36 points, Rajon Rondo sparked a fourth-quarter rally and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 112-102 on Tuesday night to take a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference semi-final series.
The triumph gave James his NBA-record 162nd postseason victory, surpassing former Lakers guard Derek Fisher's 161.
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"It's very humbling," James said. "It's something that I never dreamed of."
James had seven rebounds, five assists and four blocks as he helped lead the Lakers' second-half defensive surge. The Rockets had 64 points at half-time but were held to 38 the rest of the way.
"Nobody impacts winning more than LeBron James," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. "That's true for this season. That's why he should be MVP. Honestly, it's probably true in the history of the game.
"Nobody impacts winning more than LeBron James. To see him have that actual numerical statistic is just indicative of that."
James reached the milestone with plenty of help from Rondo, who became the first player to have at least 12 points and five assists in the fourth quarter of a playoff game since James accomplished the feat playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 22, 2010, according to STATS.
Rondo finished with 21 points and nine assists. He scored eight straight points during a 10-0 run early in the period that put the Lakers ahead for good. Rondo assisted on the other basket during that stretch.
"I just took what was given," Rondo said. "It started on the defensive end for me. Guys found me when I was open, and I took the shots with confidence. And I got some easy lay-ups."
Anthony Davis had 26 points and Kyle Kuzma added 14. James Harden scored 33 points and Russell Westbrook had 30 for the Rockets.
The game featured 16 lead changes and 15 ties, with neither team pulling ahead by more than six points until the Lakers took control late.
"Too many 50-50 balls we didn't get, too many times we just weren't sharp," Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We just weren't quick to the ball or quick to a play and it got away from us. They hit a lot of good hard shots. Tonight, they got us. Next time, we'll see what we can do."
'Playoff Rondo is real'
Rondo assisted on a lay-up by James that put the Lakers ahead with about 10 minutes remaining. Rondo then hit a three-pointer to give the Lakers an 89-85 advantage, their largest lead to that point.
After a Houston timeout, Westbrook missed a shot and Rondo sank another three. Rondo then stole the ball from Harden and made a lay-up to cap the 10-0 run.
"Playoff Rondo is real," Davis said. "His intensity picks up. He wants to guard the best perimeter guy. He is shooting the ball very well, making the right passes. His IQ is on another level."
The Lakers controlled the final period for the second straight game. They blew a 21-point lead in Game 2 but outscored Houston by 10 in the fourth quarter to win 117-109.
"I just thought in the second half they played a little bit harder than we did," D'Antoni said. "Our legs, we were a little slow off a lot of things, especially on the defensive end. We didn't create enough turnovers to run."
