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Rockets Rout Lakers 115-96, Eason Sets Steal Record

4/27/2026

43 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Rockets Crush Lakers

The Houston Rockets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 115-96 in Game 4 of the first-round Western Conference playoffs.
Deandre Ayton, Adou Thiero and Aaron Holiday were ejected for technical fouls.
Amen Thompson posted 23 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
Reed Sheppard added 17 points on 4-for-7 three-pointers.
Tari Eason recorded 20 points, eight rebounds and a franchise-record-tying 17 steals as Houston shot 40% from three.

Summary

Holiday Ejected

Aaron Holiday was ejected after a physical exchange with Lakers forward Adou Thiero under the basket in the fourth quarter on April 26, 2026.
He scored nine points—all three-pointers—on 3-of-8 shooting in 18 minutes, adding one assist, one steal, one block, and made three of five three-point attempts.
The NBA will review the incident and decide any discipline before Game 5 of the series.

History

Historical Context

The NBA’s toughest disciplinary test came on Nov 19 2004 when a Pacers-Pistons game at The Palace of Auburn Hills erupted into the ‘Malice at the Palace,’ prompting a 73-game suspension for Ron Artest and a total of 146 games suspended for nine players. That precedent drives today’s ejection of Aaron Holiday and Adou Thiero, showing the league’s continued strict enforcement of on-court conduct.

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Rockets Crush Lakers

The Houston Rockets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 115-96 in Game 4 of the first-round Western Conference playoffs.
Deandre Ayton, Adou Thiero and Aaron Holiday were ejected for technical fouls.
Amen Thompson posted 23 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
Reed Sheppard added 17 points on 4-for-7 three-pointers.
Tari Eason recorded 20 points, eight rebounds and a franchise-record-tying 17 steals as Houston shot 40% from three.

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