Marcus Smart's breakout game helps Lakers go up 2-0 on Rockets - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — The Houston Rockets had Kevin Durant back for Game 2 of their first-round matchup Tuesday. So the Lakers had Marcus Smart guard him in their 101-94 win to take a 2-0 series lead.

«It was good for them to have KD out there for them,» Smart said, «and it was good for us to be able to do what we did tonight against him.»

Durant returned from a right knee injury that kept him out of Game 1 to score 23 points on 7-for-12 shooting — but shot just 1-for-3 and committed three of his playoff career-worst nine turnovers in the 18 possessions he was defended by Smart, according to ESPN Research.

«He's not afraid of the moment,» said LeBron James, who led L.A. with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. «He's always been assigned some of the best players that [have] ever played this game in his career. So, to have someone like that it just brings a lot of composure to our team.

»Especially when we're missing — I hate to beat a dead horse, but it's two big horses — with AR [Austin Reaves] and Luka [Doncic] out. So, to have that, it means a lot to our ballclub."

As effective as Smart was defensively, grabbing five steals, he was equally important on offense, scoring 25 points on 8-for-13 shooting (5-for-7 from 3) with seven assists.

«Smart, he just had a killer game today,» Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

The veteran guard, signed to a two-year, $11 million contract in the offseason after being recruited to L.A. by Doncic, was great from the start of Game 2, scoring 14 of his points in the first quarter.

«He set the tone for us, got us going,» said Luke Kennard, who followed up 27 points in Game 1 with 23 in Game 2. «And we know with those guys out, it could be anybody on any given night right now.»

Houston, which was