On a night where the offense struggled to find rhythm, i Los Angeles Lakers they built on the victory at home Houston Rockets (here is the story of the match) on defense: a collective performance, made up of rotations, communication and sacrifice, which he found in Marcus Smart one of the main performers.
Keep i Texans 35 points in the second half and just 12 in the last quarter was not a coincidence: it is the result of a precise approach, as explained by the yellow-violet veteran himself in the post-match.
The game plan was clear, especially against a scorer like Kevin Durant: «Exactly that: taking the ball out of his hands. He is so strong that he can create shots above anyone and get to his spots. We had to make everything as difficult as possible for him.”
A strategy that required a continuous collective effort: «It was a team effort. We continued to trust each other and help each other.”
👊 The defense supporting the attack
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According to Marcus Smart, the real leap in quality comes from defensive continuity: «We can be very strong indeed. Our offense is among the best in the league, but by adding a defense like this we become a truly dangerous team.”
The problem, however, remains consistency: «We need to be more continuous. It’s something we’re working on every day.”
Compared to the start of the season, the progress is evident — and it starts with the leaders: «We have grown a lot in this aspect, exponentially. You have a 41-year-old LeBron James diving on the floor — that says it all.”
And that’s not the only sign: «You have Luka who takes breakthroughs and steals balls, AR who sacrifices himself, everyone who keeps their man. We are trying to raise the level especially defensively.”
When the stars lead by example, the rest of the group follows: «If they give everything in defense, everyone must do the same. Otherwise you don’t play. That’s the mentality.”
🪄 Marcus Smart: «Luka Magic, baby»
In the middle of a dirty and physical game, he once again thought about keeping the attack going Luka Dončić: «Luka Magic, baby. We all know it. I have also experienced it as an opponent… and now as a partner.»
And against an aggressive defense like Houston’s: «It’s not easy to score like that against a team like that. This shows how special he is.”
The series against the Rockets, however, is not over. Tonight the two teams will face each other again, again at the Toyota Center, in a match that already has the flavor of a mini-playoff series. At stake is the tiebreaker.
Smart’s message is very clear: «We are two teams fighting. We have to have the right mentality.” And above all: “We have to strike first.”
For the Lakers, Houston’s victory is not just another success, but a signal: the ability to win even on difficult evenings, relying on defense and team play.
Now comes the most complicated test: confirming yourself, against the same opponent, in the same context.
With the same mentality.
📅 Next Game
I Los Angeles Lakers they return to the field in the night (2.30 🇮🇹) between Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th March to face the Houston Rockets al Toyota Center.
On the cover: Marcus Smart during the match between Rockets and Lakers on March 16, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston. (Credit: Joe Murphy, NBAE via Getty Images)
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