Lakers’ Marcus Smart refuses to let Houston punk LA in playoffs

The Los Angeles Lakers will face a monumental challenge in their first-round series against the Houston Rockets. With both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out due to injury, the onus falls on LeBron James and the Lakers’ supporting cast to rise up to the challenge as they take on a talented Rockets team led by Kevin Durant.

And if his comments are anything to go by, Marcus Smart is not just ready for the challenge, but knows exactly what is in store for the Lakers, per a post on X by ClutchPoints.

"They're going to try to come in and punk us. And if you will allow that, you will be punked. And I don't think we have any guys that are going to be punked on this team."

Marcus Smart on the Lakers' 1st round matchup with the Rockets

(via @mcten)
pic.twitter.com/YJhkyQd96G

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 14, 2026

“They’re going to try to come in and punk us. And if you will allow that, you will be punked. And I don’t think we have any guys that are going to be punked on this team,” he said.

The Reaves-Donic absence places increased responsibility on LeBron James, who closed the regular season averaging 24 points, 9.7 assists, and six rebounds over the final week while leading the team to a 3-1 stretch. However, the Lakers will also take confidence from Smart’s return from a nine-game ankle injury-related absence.

In his first two games back, Smart recorded 17 total assists and averaged 8.5 assists, 5.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals. Over the full season, he has averaged 9.3 points, three assists and 1.4 steals while leading the Lakers with a +256 plus-minus across 62 games.

And while his two-way impact might prove crucial, Smart is also a playoff veteran with over 100 postseason games in his career. Of course, the Rockets will still pose a major challenge, something Smart seems to understand as well.

“We might not be the most athletic and strongest, but we got to have the most heart,” he said, before claiming that Durant was one of the greatest to play the game.

Of course, much will come down to how well LeBron James can respond as the team’s primary scorer, a role he is set to continue with until Doncic’s return.

The post Lakers’ Marcus Smart refuses to let Houston punk LA in playoffs appeared first on ClutchPoints.