HOUSTON — The Lakers did it.
They clawed. They scrapped. They refused to give up.
The team that was counted out reached the second round of the NBA playoffs after clinching its first-round series against the Rockets with a 98-78 win in Game 6 on Friday.
LeBron James led the Lakers to a series-clinching Game 6 victory over the Rockets by finishing with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. NBAE via Getty Images
What they went through over the last month transformed them, making them ready for their date with the reigning champion Thunder.
Before everything went wrong for them, they had no chance.
Now they do.
Game 6 was a huge test.
After the Lakers roared to a 3-0 series lead, the Rockets won the next two contests. Momentum had wildly swung. The Lakers had to win in Houston or else they'd face elimination.
What was on the line?
Oh, just the Lakers' reputation and LeBron James avoiding a dent on his legacy . No team in NBA history had ever blown a 3-0 series lead.
How did they respond?
The Lakers, who aren't known as a great defensive team, held the Rockets to fewer than 80 points for just the 10th time in a playoff game since 2000.
Marcus Smart turned back the clock with devastating defense throughout the series, including a great effort on Kevin Durant in Game 2. Getty Images
Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart were bulldogs, preventing the Rockets' scorers from getting hot.
As for James, he wasn't about to let the Lakers — or himself — free-fall into infamy. He met the moment with the perfect combination of poise and ferocity, single-handedly outscoring the Rockets in the second quarter, 14-13.
As the Lakers huddled after the game, everyone bleated to honor him as the greatest player of all time (the GOAT). The 41-year-old James had just led all scorers for the fourth time this series, finishing with 28 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
"It speaks to his greatness," Lakers coach JJ Redick said. "To me, he's had the greatest career of any NBA player."
It was the Lakers' latest test amid a series of seemingly impossible quizzes that they've somehow aced over the last month.
When the Lakers lost Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) with five games remaining in the regular season, no one thought they had any chance in the playoffs. They were missing their leading scorers, who left a 60-point crater in their absence.
After a four-week absence due to a Grade 2 oblique strain, Austin Reaves returned in Game 5 and played a key role in the Game 6 win. NBAE via Getty Images
But the Lakers have learned they're so much deeper than they thought.
James is still a superstar, ready and willing to be the first option. Luke Kennard 's talents extend far beyond the 3-point line. Ayton is capable of playing with force. Smart can look like the best defender in the league on any given night. Rui Hachimura and Jake LaRavia are capable of stepping up in big moments.
For the Lakers, cutting off their two biggest limbs made the rest of their body grow stronger.
It took a lot for this Lakers team to believe in itself. The negative noise was deafening.
What they just accomplished is stunning.
"It felt bleak," Redick said. "… For us to be written off a few weeks ago and to win a playoff series is a big deal. And it just speaks to the character of our team and the leaders of our team. They didn't let go of the rope."
Now the Lakers may just be ready for the Thunder. It's a crazy thought. But they've risen above the impossible.
That can change a team. It can seed a belief that's infectious.
While Luka Doncic's status is still unknown following a Grade 2 hamstring strain, the Lakers have given him a chance to return in the second round against the Oklahoma City Thunder. AP
If Doncic returns in the second round of the playoffs, his teammates will no longer feel as though they live or die on his 40-point scoring flurries.
Everyone in the rotation tapped into being the best version of themselves at various points this series.
That's powerful.
There's no denying that the Lakers have an enormous challenge ahead of them. Their last two games against the Thunder were disastrous. There was a 43-point loss on April 2, followed by a 36-point loss on April 7.
But the Lakers are battle-tested now in a way they weren't before.
They've gone through something. They survived. They persevered.
Everyone played a part in it.
There will be no questioning LeBron James' legacy after he led the undermanned Lakers to a first-round victory over the Rockets. AP
James proved he's still James.
Reaves returned from a painful oblique injury in Game 5 after pouring himself into getting back onto the court. There were some days he left his house at 7:30 a.m. and didn't return until 7:30 p.m. after seeking various treatments.
"Literally, did literally everything we could possibly do to get myself back in this opportunity," said Reaves, who had 15 points on 7-for-14 shooting.
Deandre Ayton averaged 11.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in the first-round series vs. the Rockets. AP
Then there's Smart, who was on the verge of falling out of the league before resuscitating his career this postseason, including bottling up Kevin Durant in Game 2.
As for Ayton, his maturity and professionalism had fallen into question before he recently showed he can star in his role, including holding Alperen Sengun to 17 points on 5-for-12 shooting in Game 6.
Then there's Kennard, who made people question whether he had been playing the wrong role his entire career after shining as a playmaker in the first two games of this series.
There are so many success stories this postseason on the Lakers' roster. They did this as a collective. They overcame adversity together. That makes them dangerous.
They didn't have a chance. Now they're going to the Western Conference semifinals.
It would be foolish to count them out again.
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