Lakers prepare for Rockets series with emphasis on

Rebounding was not a strength of the Lakers over the course of the common season. Rebounding was a strength of the Houston Rockets during the 2025-26 marketing campaign.

So, on their first day of apply Tuesday for Game 1 of the first spherical Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers labored diligently on rebounding drills, understanding full nicely that shall be one of the keys against the Rockets.

The Lakers have been the fourth-worst rebounding staff in the NBA, averaging 41.0 per recreation. The Rockets have been the top rebounding staff in the league, getting 48.1 total and 15.0 on the offensive end.

And one of the Lakers’ better rebounders, Luka Doncic, gained’t be accessible because he’s dealing with a Grade 2 left hamstring pressure that he went to Spain for treatment. Doncic is second on the Lakers in rebounding at 7.7 per recreation. His beginning backcourt mate, Austin Reaves, also is a good rebounder but he also gained’t play because of a Grade 2 left indirect pressure. Reaves is averaging 4.7 rebounds per recreation.

“They’re out indefinitely,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said about Doncic and Reaves.

Redick then gave a simple reply for how the Lakers have to deal with the Rockets in the best-of-seven series.

“Again, taking care of the basketball and boxing out. That’s the series,” Redick said. “Scheme, personnel, obviously important, but if we don’t take care of the ball and we don’t box out, we’re not gonna win the series.

“They were No. 4 in scoring opportunities. We were No. 23, so we don’t have the luxury with Luka and AR out of getting drilled in scoring opportunities every single game. We gotta box out. We’re going to place an emphasis on every drill in practice. We started practice with boxing out today. You gotta put it in their minds. That’s literally the only thing we said about Houston today. Today was about us having a practice, getting sharp with our stuff. Tomorrow, we’ll introduce [Rockets] personnel. Thursday we’ll do our scout, as we would. Friday will be a reinforcement of that scout. Saturday we’ll be good to go. Only thing we did today was box out.”

Lakers 7-foot backup middle Jaxson Hayes shall be counted to get rebounds. He’ll also spend time dealing with Rockets All-Star middle Alperen Sengun, who averages 20.4 factors and 8.9 rebounds (3.0 on offense) per recreation.

Hayes missed the last 4 video games because of left foot soreness, but he was back at apply Tuesday.

“Feeling a lot better,” Hayes said. “It’s nice getting a few days off. Especially with my job, I jump a lot and I run a lot, so it’s hard for me to rest something like that. Getting those days off was very much needed. Very helpful.”

When requested about the box-out drills the Lakers did at apply, Hayes recalled the last time he did such a factor.

“Definitely college, for sure,” Hayes said. “College days with those Texas bigs. Coaches start off the practice where you got to smack somebody. Obviously, we weren’t trying to murder each other out on the boards, but definitely practicing that stuff. Houston is, I think, one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the past 20 years. So, just making sure we’re ready for that.”

The Rockets are a bodily staff that also performs smothering protection.

Houston allowed 110.0 factors per recreation during the common season, the fourth-best defensive mark in the league, and held groups to 46.0% capturing, the sixth-best mark in the league.

For Lakers guard Marcus Smart, there may be a technique to compete with the Rockets on the backboards.

“Will. Willpower,” Smart said. “We’re competitors. We’ve been doing this for a while. We’re doing that at the highest level, right? And they’re going to try to come in and punk us. And if you will allow that, you will be punked. And I don’t think we have any guys that are going to be punked on this team. So, we might not be the most athletic and strongest, but we got to have the most heart.”