Goodbye Rockets, hello Thunder. The Rockets' chances of turning things around are essentially zero, and the Lakers have already advanced to the next round.

Who could have imagined that the Lakers, without stars Doncic and Reaves, would be the first playoff team this year to secure a 3-0 lead. The Rockets are perilously close to elimination; frankly, we can say goodbye to them—their campaign is over prematurely.

Looking at the entire NBA history, there have been 159 cases where a team fell behind 0-3 in the playoffs, and no team has ever completed a comeback. Four teams pushed the series to a Game 7 but ultimately lost: the 2023 Celtics, the 2003 Trail Blazers, the 1994 Nuggets, and the 1951 Knicks.

Durant's injury appears quite serious; he suffered a left ankle sprain in Game 2, and he wasn't even on the sidelines for Game 3 yesterday, likely undergoing treatment. Meanwhile, our Reaves is nearing a return. Today the Lakers released the injury report for tomorrow's Game 4, listing Reaves as questionable with a 50% chance of playing.

Yesterday's victory was earned by Smart and James. Without Smart's three free throws and James' steal and three-pointer, the Lakers wouldn't have won. In NBA playoff history, teams trailing by 6 points or more in the final 30 seconds of regulation had a record of 1 win and 1713 losses; yesterday's Lakers changed that to 2 wins and 1713 losses.

With 34 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Rockets led by 6 points, their live win probability was as high as 96.6%, while the Lakers had only 3.4%. What followed is now well-known. James once again won the game with roughly a 3% probability.

Yesterday he played 45 minutes, breathing heavily, and the moments where he leaned on his knees were moving. Throughout the second half, James rested only for 1 minute and 53 seconds. During every timeout, he sat until the last second to maximize rest and conserve every bit of energy he could muster.

Although James' performance yesterday was brilliant, it should be noted that the Lakers' 3-0 lead isn't solely his achievement. He committed 8 turnovers overall, and all 4 Lakers turnovers in the final quarter came from him.

Smart handled all the small details; Hachimura scored 16 of his 22 points in the first quarter, a career-high for a single quarter. Hayes delivered two crucial blocks in the fourth quarter, giving the Lakers extra time after losing a 15-point lead. The Lakers bench outscored the Rockets' bench 24-3.

The Lakers are just one win away from an "upset," and one win away from extending their season and giving Doncic and Reaves a chance to return. What they are achieving is the feat of a 23-year veteran who both threw an alley-oop to his 21-year-old son and hit a tying three-pointer in the same game.

At 41 years old, James this postseason averages 25.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 47.4% and a three-point percentage of 43.8%.

This is a James we both recognize and find unfamiliar.

What's familiar is that we've watched James play like this in the playoffs for many years—saving the game, performing like a deity. What's unfamiliar is that throughout basketball history, no one at age 41 has ever delivered such a performance.

No 41-year-old player has ever played 45 minutes in a playoff game or scored 29 points. The previous record holder—James himself—set it in Game 2 of the first round against the Rockets.

Also, today the Thunder defeated the Suns 121-109, leading the series 3-0 as well. Barring surprises, the Lakers' next-round opponent will be the Thunder.

Knicks reporter Tommy Beer tweeted yesterday: "The Lakers should intentionally lose Game 4 to ensure Doncic and Reaves get more rest."

Lakers head coach Redick said this after the game: "Close out the series here on Sunday—that's our mindset."

Exactly, aim for a 4-0 sweep without dragging out any extra games.