Rockets Win Game 4 115-96, Cut Lakers Series Lead to 3-1

The Houston Rockets staved off elimination in their first-round Western Conference playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 115-96 victory in Game 4 on Sunday night at the Toyota Center, cutting the Lakers' lead to 3-1.

The Lakers, who had dominated the series with wins in the first three games, struggled from the outset, committing a season-high 24 turnovers that fueled Houston's transition attack. Los Angeles managed just five three-pointers and shot inefficiently overall, falling behind by 17 points early in the third quarter during a 12-4 Rockets run. The deficit ballooned to 26 by the end of the period, and the Lakers never mounted a serious comeback.

A pivotal moment came with 5:41 left in the third, when Lakers center Deandre Ayton was ejected for a flagrant 2 foul after his left forearm struck Rockets center Alperen Sengun across the face as Sengun drove to the basket. Officials reviewed the play and deemed the contact unnecessary and excessive, leading to Ayton's automatic ejection. At the time, the Lakers trailed 76-57, and Ayton had been their most effective player, scoring 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting with 10 rebounds in 25 minutes.