Houston Rockets routed Los Angeles Lakers 115-96 on Sunday to remain alive within the NBA playoffs, whereas Victor Wembanyama made a triumphant return to place San Antonio Spurs on the point of advancing.
Amen Thompson scored 23 factors to gasoline the Rockets, who bounced again from a crushing additional time loss on Friday to chop the deficit of their best-of-seven Western Convention sequence to 3-1.
The Spurs and Boston Celtics took commanding 3-1 leads of their sequence, the previous rallying from 19 factors right down to beat the Path Blazers 114-93 in Portland and the latter thrashing the 76ers 128-96 in Philadelphia.
In Toronto, the Raptors edged the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-89 to stage their sequence at two video games apiece.
Denied a sweep in Houston, the Lakers can nonetheless end off the Rockets after they host sport 5 on Wednesday.
The Rockets, nonetheless with out star Kevin Durant, harried the Lakers into 24 turnovers, yielding 30 Houston factors.
4-time NBA champion LeBron James made simply two of 9 makes an attempt from the ground on the way in which to 10 factors. He handed out 9 assists however made eight turnovers.
With the Lakers nonetheless lacking their high scorers in injured Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, centre Deandre Ayton led the facet with 19 factors and 10 rebounds.
However they had been already down by 19 when he was ejected within the third quarter after catching Rockets centre Alperen Sengun within the head together with his forearm.
Tari Eason added 20 factors, and Sengun scored 19 for the Rockets, who’re making an attempt to change into the primary NBA crew to rally from a 0-3 deficit to win a playoff sequence.
In Portland, Wembanyama returned after lacking one sport due to a concussion and scored 27 factors with 11 rebounds, three assists, 4 steals and a whopping seven blocked pictures.
“I had a lot of feelings in me earlier than the sport, clearly,” stated Wembanyama, named the 2026 NBA Defensive Participant of the Yr and within the working for Most Priceless Participant.
Celtics spoil Embiid’s return
San Antonio’s De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 28 factors, and the Spurs out-scored the Path Blazers 73-35 within the second half.
They’ll attempt to clinch the sequence after they host sport 5 on Tuesday.
The Celtics spoiled the return of 76ers star Joel Embiid, who performed his first sport since having an emergency appendectomy on April 9.
Payton Pritchard scored 32 factors off the bench, and Jayson Tatum scored 30 factors with seven rebounds and 11 assists for the Celtics, who led by 16 factors after one quarter and by double digits the remainder of the way in which.
Embiid led the 76ers with 26 factors and 10 rebounds, however Philadelphia couldn’t counter the Celtics’ rain of 24 three-pointers.
In Toronto, Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram scored 23 factors apiece because the Raptors held off the Cavaliers regardless of making simply 4 of 30 from three-point vary.
The Raptors trailed by 5 with 2:10 left to play however powered to the lead with a 9-0 scoring burst and held on.
Donovan Mitchell scored 20 factors to guide the Cavs, and James Harden added 19, however Mitchell missed two makes an attempt within the ultimate 30 seconds as Barnes made six free throws down the stretch to seal it.
Revealed on Apr 27, 2026