Kennard's Playoff Heroics Propel Lakers

0:00The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their 2026 playoff run against the Houston Rockets, missing Luca Dohnchitch and Austin Reeves, both. Out since early April. Step-up time hit hard and nobody saw Luke Kenner dropping a playoff career high 27 points in game 1. He shot 9 for 13 from the field and went a perfect 5 for 5 from deep, helping the Lakers snag a 107 to 98 win and a 1-0 series lead. That 3 point perfection puts Kennerd and Rare Lakers playoff company. The first since Robert Hori back in 1997 to nail 5. Without a miss, Hori went even crazier with 7 that night against Utah, though the Lakers lost. Kennerd, a trade deadline grab, just joined that elite shortlist after 3 decades. Fans in the arena lit up as his name echoed by buzzer time, turning a solid role player into the night star. The Rockets threw their top perimeter defender Aiman Thompson at a mall game, but canard slip screens, hit corners, and state ice cold.

1:02Coach Reddick praised that fire post game, saying he'd ramped up Kennerd's minutes late season to build trust. Kenner credited those extra reps for his clear head, organized, hunt the right shot, attack without hesitation. LeBron James backed it with 19 points and 13 assists, but this was Kennerd's spotlight. With the star still sideline for game 2, expect him to keep producing, keeping the Lakers rolling deep into these playoffs. That's your update from California News Today, powered by AI.