West takeaways: Rockets survive Game 4 to keep season alive

April 27, 2026 No Comments

2026 NBA playoffs: Western Conference first-round takeawaysNBA InsidersMultiple AuthorsApr 27, 2026, 12:20 AM ET

The 2026 playoffs are underway, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game in the march to the Finals. Which top seeds are cruising and which could be in danger of a first-round upset? Which stars are shining and which players are breaking through on the playoff stage?

As the Western Conference playoffs continue, here’s what matters most and what to watch in all four series.

More coverage:
East takeaways | Schedules and results | Offseason guides

(4) Los Angeles Lakers lead (5) Houston Rockets 3-1

Game 1: Lakers 107, Rockets 98
Game 2: Lakers 101, Rockets 94
Game 3: Lakers 112, Rockets 108 (OT)
Game 4: Rockets 115, Lakers 96

Biggest takeaway from Game 4: Lost in the aftermath of the Lakers’ magical Game 3 comeback was that L.A. struggled mightily on the offensive end in the second half, scoring just 38 points on 38.2% shooting while committing 10 turnovers. “It feels like our turnovers tend to come in waves against this team,” Lakers coach JJ Redick stated in the lead-up to Sunday’s tipoff. If Friday’s second half produced a wave of turnovers, what followed in Game 4 was a tsunami. The Lakers committed 21 turnovers through the first three quarters, leading to 26 points for the Rockets. Houston bounced back from the Game 3 collapse — and the disappointing injury news that a bone bruise in Kevin Durant’s sprained left ankle could sideline him for two to three weeks — with a suffocating defensive performance and a balanced offensive outing that saw each starter score at least 16 points.

Meanwhile, LeBron James had one of the worst playoff games of his career with 10 points on 2-for-9 shooting, nine assists and eight turnovers. And the one L.A. player who was effective, Deandre Ayton, was ejected in the third quarter after picking up a flagrant foul 2 for hitting Alperen Sengun on the side of the head with his forearm. Ayton registered 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes before exiting. — Dave McMenamin

Game 4: Rockets at Lakers (Wednesday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN)

What to watch in Game 4: Houston coach Ime Udoka pointed out Sunday that just last spring, his team fell 3-1 in the first round to the Golden State Warriors and fought back to force a Game 7. Based on how Game 4 went — with the Rockets controlling the action from start to finish and leading by as many as 28 points — they certainly look like a team that isn’t about to lay down on Wednesday. On the Lakers side of things, after Austin Reaves was listed as questionable the last two games, will he be ready to come back from his left oblique strain on Wednesday? And after Ayton’s ejection and some late-game chippiness to end Sunday — including both teams jawing at one another at center court after the final buzzer — just how physical will Game 5 get? —McMenamin

(2) San Antonio Spurs lead (7) Portland Trail Blazers 3-1

Game 1: Spurs 111, Trail Blazers 98
Game 2: Trail Blazers 106, Spurs 103
Game 3: Spurs 120, Trail Blazers 108
Game 4: Spurs 114, Trail Blazers 93

Biggest takeaway from Game 4: The Spurs are short on postseason experience but continue to overcome adversity with moxie uncharacteristic of such a young squad. First, the Spurs won Game 3 without their best player, Victor Wembanyama, who missed most of Game 2 and all of Game 3 due to a concussion.

Then, in Wembanyama’s first game back, San Antonio shook off a slow start to rally from 19 points down for the win. Portland annihilated the Spurs in transition and bench scoring early on to take a 17-point lead into intermission. But San Antonio charged back with a 13-0 run in the third quarter, erasing its largest halftime deficit in a postseason outing since 2017 to tie the score at 74 headed into the final frame. De’Aaron Fox and Wembanyama scored 24 and 21 points, respectively, to carry the Spurs.

The Trail Blazers outscored the visitors 24-1 in transition over the first two quarters while shooting 8-of-11. Led by Jerami Grant (11 points), Portland’s bench outscored San Antonio’s 23-5 as Luke Kornet, Dylan Harper and Harrison Barnes finished the opening half scoreless.

Wembanyama showed some rust offensively before finding his flow in the second half. Despite his early struggles on offense, Wembanyama handled business on the defensive end, holding Portland to 2-of-9 shooting with a block as the primary defender to combat the Blazers’ dominating opening half. — Michael C. Wright

Game 5: Trail Blazers at Spurs (Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

What to watch in Game 5: Sunday’s game helped Wembanyama get reacclimated to postseason basketball. He got off to a slow start offensively in his only outing in Portland, but you can expect him to be sharper in Game 5 in the friendly confines of the Frost Bank Center. Game 5 represents a chance for San Antonio’s young core to close out its first postseason series and buy itself a little rest while awaiting its second-round opponent.

Harper and Stephon Castle are banged up with hand injuries but will be counted on to perform in Game 5 to help the Spurs close out their first series since 2017. — Wright

(6) Minnesota Timberwolves lead (3) Denver Nuggets 3-1

Game 1: Nuggets 116, Timberwolves 105
Game 2: Timberwolves 119, Nuggets 114
Game 3: Timberwolves 113, Nuggets 96
Game 4: Timberwolves 112, Nuggets 96

Biggest takeaway from Game 4: The Timberwolves lost their starting backcourt in the first half to a pair of concerning injuries but still powered their way to a commanding 3-1 series lead. Donte DiVincenzo tore his right Achilles 79 seconds into the game. Anthony Edwards missed 7 of his first 8 shots and then hyperextended his left knee, needing assistance to get to the locker room. This could be debilitating long term for the Timberwolves, but they still steamrolled the Nuggets in the second half. Ayo Dosunmu, starting the second half in place of Edwards, delivered star-level production: 43 points on 13-of-17 shooting. He scored 66 combined in the two Minnesota home wins. Naz Reid had 17 off the bench. The Nuggets, getting little from a hobbled Aaron Gordon (dealing with his own calf injury), are on the brink of elimination. — Anthony Slater

Game 4: Timberwolves at Nuggets (Monday, 10:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)

What to watch in Game 5: The biggest piece of news will come before tip. Edwards is set for an MRI on his left knee, sources told ESPN, to determine the severity of what was a scary hyperextension upon landing on a second-quarter block attempt. Denver needs to win three straight games to keep its season alive, but two of them will be at home against an opponent that might not have either side of its starting backcourt. If Edwards is out, the bulk of the scoring load will fall to Julius Randle and Dosunmu, who is two months away from what could be a lucrative unrestricted free agency. Can the Timberwolves get one more win to advance to the second round? If they do, will Edwards be healthy enough to rejoin them on a title pursuit? — Slater

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder lead (8) Phoenix Suns 3-0

Game 1: Thunder 119, Suns 84
Game 2: Thunder 120, Suns 107
Game 3: Thunder 121, Suns 109

Biggest takeaway from Game 3: A surgical, dominant performance by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put the Suns on the brink of elimination. A few days after being called “frail” by Suns defensive menace Dillon Brooks, Gilgeous-Alexander scorched the Suns for a playoff career-high 42 points on 15-of-18 shooting with eight assists.

It was a masterpiece performance by Gilgeous-Alexander, who is expected to repeat as the MVP, when Oklahoma City didn’t have an effective second offensive creator. With Jalen Williams sidelined by a hamstring strain, Ajay Mitchell struggled in that role (15 points, 5-of-20 shooting). But Gilgeous-Alexander was too good to give the Suns a chance of getting on the board in the series. — Tim MacMahon

Game 4: Thunder at Suns (Monday, 9:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/Peacock)

What to watch in Game 4: Can the Thunder sweep their first-round series for the third straight year? Oklahoma City is 11-0 in the first round with coach Mark Daigneault on the sidelines, sweeping the New Orleans Pelicans in 2024 and the Memphis Grizzlies last season. That matches the Miami Heat from 2012 to 16 for the fifth-most consecutive first-round wins in NBA history. The defending champion Thunder have looked every bit the part of the title favorite through the first few games of the playoffs. If that continues Monday, Oklahoma City can get some rest before the second round. — MacMahon