WATCH: LeBron James’ clutch shot sends Lakers to OT, 3-0 lead vs. Rockets

Father Time is not a concern for LeBron James at the moment. The Coach JJ Redick-led Los Angeles Lakers trusted him for a vast majority of this NBA Playoffs Game 3 against the Houston Rockets and it  paid off. James even turned back the clock to hit a clutch shot to send the game to overtime and that eventually led to them winning and getting the 3-0 series lead despite not having Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves.

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James goes ballistic in clutch during Lakers vs. Rockets NBA Playoffs Game 3

LeBron James was the main reason why the Lakers were able to pull of this Game 3 win over the Rockets. With no Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the 41-year old Lakers superstar was able to carry a bunch of Coach JJ Redick’s offensive load while also staying ready in crunch time. He even hit the clutch shot to tie the game at 101-101 and send this NBA Playoffs bout to overtime, via NBA on Prime.

OMG LEBRON. TIE GAME.

Watch Lakers-Rockets now on @primevideo 🍿 pic.twitter.com/wNWGcJrkGy

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) April 25, 2026

James played 45 minutes to keep the Lakers afloat. He scored 29 points at a 45% clip from the field while also going 44.4% from three-point range. Knocking down buckets was not the only thing that Coach Redick relied him to do. He facilitated the Lakers offense well which got him six assists.

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Defensively, James was also a menace and tortured the Rockets. He grabbed 13 rebounds, got three steals, and a block. It looked like the Lakers got the version of him from a decade ago given the numbers that he put out.

Moreover, he also helped Bronny James secure his first two buckets in the NBA Playoffs. LeBron set the screen for a massive three and then followed it up with a long-ranged lob for an alley-oop in the second quarter. Bronny had five points and managed to outscore the Rockets bench by himself.

The Lakers just need one more game to sweep the Rockets and advance to second round of the NBA Playoffs. Without Doncic and Reaves, can Coach Redick and the rest of Lakers rely on James in the clutch again?

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