42-year-old LeBron is truly insane! Played 37 minutes, scored a game-high 28 points... Lakers defeat Houston, advance to the second round of the PO

*This content was translated by AI.

Even past the age of 40, the "superstar" LeBron James (42, LA Lakers) continued his storming performance.

On the 2nd (Korean time), the Lakers secured a decisive 98-78 victory in an away game against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, USA, in the sixth round of the 2025-2026 NBA Western Conference Playoffs (PO). With this win, the Lakers recorded a 4-2 series record and advanced to the second round of the PO for the first time in two years.

Leading the team to victory today was James, the "veteran and ace." Despite his advanced age, he played for a remarkable 37 minutes and 7 seconds, scoring a game-high 28 points, the most by either team. He also contributed 7 rebounds and 8 assists.

Thanks to James stabilizing the team, his teammates' scoring machines also came alive. Rui Hachimura recorded 21 points and 6 rebounds, while Austin Rivers added 15 points.

Houston, which entered the playoffs as the fifth seed in the regular season, saw Amen Thompson fight hard with 18 points and 8 rebounds, but the team could not prevent the defeat.

Praise poured in for James' storming performance. U.S. PFSN stated, "James handled an enormous amount of playing time, leading the game from start to finish. He even dismantled Houston coach Ime Udoka's defensive tactics, putting a period on the series." Players from other sports were no different. Robert Griffin III, a prominent NFL analyst who watched the game, also commented on his social media, "Even anti-fans cannot criticize this performance."

In fact, the Lakers, led by James, took a 49-31 lead by halftime. Although Houston began to close the gap in the third quarter, the difference was already too large. In the fourth quarter, the Lakers maintained their momentum to secure the victory. James, showing no signs of fatigue, also took responsibility for nearly 9 minutes in the fourth quarter, leading his teammates.

In the second round of the PO, the Lakers will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who were the top seed in the West. In another second-round matchup, the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs and the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves will face off.

On the other hand, in the East, only the New York Knicks have secured their spot in the second round of the PO. The Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic, as well as the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are all currently tied at 3-3. The outcome will be decided in a decisive Game 7.

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*This content was translated by AI.