News Summary

• The Los Angeles Lakers lost 115-96 to the Houston Rockets in Game 4 of the Western Conference first round.
• The Rockets avoided elimination and forced Game 5 in the series.
• LeBron James took responsibility for the loss, saying the Lakers' mistake-making was part of why the Rockets pulled away.
• With the series now extended, the Lakers’ ability to correct the same shortcomings that fueled their Game 4 margin becomes even more urgent.
• The game featured a major individual moment: Deandre Ayton was ejected after a flagrant foul 2 for contact with Alperen Şengün.
• That kind of swing can disrupt rotation and minutes distribution during a high-leverage contest.