Players often sense when a basketball is about to land perfectly in the net—it’s that soft touch, the right spin, and just the overall feel that signals success.
Yet, lately, the Lakers seem to be struggling with that touch.
In their first-round matchup against the Rockets, one statistic stands out: the 3-point shooting.
It really boils down to this—teams that excel in shooting threes tend to win.
Initially, the Lakers were lighting it up from beyond the arc.
Game 1: Lakers shot 52.6% from three.
Game 2: Lakers 46.4% — Win.
Game 3: Lakers 41.4% — Win.
Through the first three games, their proficiency had a significant impact on the games’ outcome.
However, it all took a downturn in the fourth and fifth games—suddenly, those three-point shots weren’t falling.
Game 4: Lakers 22.7% — Lost.
Game 5: Lakers 25.9% — Lost.
Combined, the Lakers only managed to hit 12 of 49 attempts, averaging just 24%. That’s a concerning drop.
In contrast, the Rockets shot an average of 28.5% from three in the first three games.
But in Games 4 and 5, they elevated that to 37.5%, making 26 threes—more than twice as many as the Lakers.
“I have to give them credit,” JJ Redick remarked after Game 5. “They made shots that, well, some guys don’t typically hit. We just couldn’t capitalize on our opportunities.”
Another telling point: The Rockets took significantly more shots overall—69 field goals more than the Lakers in total during the series. That’s a massive discrepancy.
This issue partly stemmed from the Lakers’ turnover rate; they committed over 20 turnovers in both Games 3 and 4.
Despite Austin Reeves making his return, the Lakers still fizzled offensively, hitting only 4 of 16 shots in Game 5.
Adding to the pressure on the Lakers is that Houston grabs nearly 15 offensive rebounds per game—making them the best in the league in this category for the last 25 years.
When a team struggles in the possession battle like the Lakers are, they really need to shoot well to compensate. They did that initially, but now—well, it’s a different story.
Some of what’s happening is just regression. The Lakers had a 36% shooting rate from three during the regular season but started at 46.8% in this series, and now they’re closer to their usual percentage at 37.7%.
Then there’s luck—at least 12 shots bounced off the rim in Game 5, including one that looked like it might go in but ended up flipping out.
“It definitely helps when the shots actually go in,” joked Reeves, who returned to the line-up in Game 5. “LeBron probably had two or three that looked good but didn’t go.”
However, the Rockets have really adjusted their defense. Early in the series, they gave Luke Kennard some space, but that changed dramatically. From being a key contributor, Kennard has now only scored 3 points in the last two games.
Reeves, while bringing some energy back to the team, felt a bit out of sync after his absence with an injury, making only 4 of 16 attempts and 2 of 8 from deep.
And there’s LeBron James, a critical player in this mix. After a hot start with 44% shooting from three in the initial games, he has faltered entirely, going 0-for-9 in the last two.
It’s a puzzling slump for him to come at such a crucial time; he hasn’t missed this many in a row since last season.
Even at 41, LeBron has the talent to dominate when it matters but can’t always maintain that intensity throughout an entire game—especially in a tough playoff series.
What’s clear is that if the Lakers can’t regain their shooting touch, they’ll need to rethink their strategy for Game 6.
The math is straightforward: to win, you must shoot well from three. If you can’t make the shots, you’re likely to lose.
And if the Lakers drop two more games, they risk being remembered for the wrong reasons.
