Lakers' ruthless 27-3 surge buries Rockets 98-78 in Game 6, sets up Thunder series

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 98-78 in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Friday, advancing to face the top-seeded Thunder in the second round. LeBron James led the Lakers with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Rui Hachimura added 21 points with five 3-pointers; the decisive moment came from a 27-3 run in the first half that established an insurmountable 18-point halftime lead. The article is sourced from the Associated Press (bylined to Kristie Rieken) and provides granular game details including shooting percentages, individual player statistics, and play-by-play context of key runs. Independent corroboration from AP, Yahoo Sports, The Athletic, and other major outlets confirms the score, James's performance, and next matchup, while adding context that both teams entered Game 6 short-handed due to injuries (Kevin Durant for Houston, Austin Reaves recently returning for Los Angeles). Watch for Game 1 of the Lakers-Thunder series scheduled for Tuesday in Oklahoma City, a matchup between the fourth and first seeds.