HOUSTON — While leading the Lakers to a commanding 3-0 lead over the Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, LeBron James has stepped out of his airtight postseason mindset for only a few fleeting moments.

He has a good reason.

"All those moments has been with Bronny," James said Friday after leading the Lakers to a 112-108 win over Houston. "It keeps getting better and better. It's like 'wow.' "

Steadily growing under the postseason spotlight, Bronny James scored his first playoff points Friday in a five-point, 26-second flurry in which he drained a 3 behind a screen from his dad and then hit a reverse layup to complete the NBA's first father-son postseason alley-oop. The Lakers can clinch the first-round, best-of-seven series Sunday at the Toyota Center.

Without Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) to run the Lakers' halfcourt sets, the team has placed an emphasis on running in transition. When Deandre Ayton blocked a shot at the rim with 7:18 remaining in the second quarter Friday, LeBron James corralled the rebound and pushed the ball up the court. Bronny James, the youngest player on the Lakers' roster, knows he can beat anyone up the court. He locked eyes with his dad as they sprinted toward the basket.

It's been a while since Bronny James caught a lob from his 41-year-old teammate. Maybe not since last year's training camp, he estimated. Getting to connect again while contributing to the Lakers' thrilling overtime win is "what I always wanted," Bronny James said.

"Especially a playoff game, the first playoff bucket is great for me, great for my confidence and how I approach the rest of the playoffs," he added of his role in the win.

The 21-year-old from USC got his first postseason rotation minutes in Game 1, starting the second quarter. The Crypto.com Arena crowd cheered when he got his first touch on the ball.

He had one turnover and two fouls in his three-minute, 50-second shift. Even several of his completed passes were slightly off the mark, forcing teammates to reach for the ball. Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean pulled him aside in front of the Lakers bench for words of encouragement before the second-year pro returned to the bench. He didn't re-enter the game.

LeBron James remembered the nerves he had during his first postseason game in 2006 against Washington, he said after Game 1, and there was little advice he could give his son that would make the experience easier until he actually did it.

"I was nervous for my first playoff game, too," Bronny James said. "I definitely think I've gained a little more confidence and relaxed myself over these three games."

The Lakers are going to need the younger James' minutes. Still waiting for Doncic and Reaves to return, the Lakers can't turn down any advantageous shots, coach JJ Redick said.

Seeing the former second-round pick confidently step into a 3-pointer Friday was even more important than the fact that Bronny James made the shot for his first playoff points.

"The amount of confidence that a young kid in our league can get from a postseason game is like — a regular-season game would never," LeBron James said, "you will never get nervous from a regular-season moment ever again when you play meaningful postseason games and postseason minutes. And he's done that and I think that's pretty cool for his career, for his confidence."

Not only has Bronny James gained confidence in his shot, but Redick praised his improvement on defense throughout the season. Against the famously physical Rockets, the 6-foot-2 guard doesn't look out of place on defense. In the moments LeBron James zooms out to realize his son is playing, he marvels at his oldest child's attention to detail, improvements on the ball and defensive mindset.

Bronny James is appreciative of the coaches' trust in him. The former five-star recruit out of Sierra Canyon High is still growing into his career, especially after surgery for a congenital heart defect derailed his brief college experience. That he didn't get to play a March Madness game will irk him for the rest of his life, Bronny James said. But the Lakers postseason run isn't a bad consolation prize.

"[I] got to do it in the playoffs," Bronny James said, "and that's just the best feeling."

Injury updates

Austin Reaves remains questionable for Game 4 in Houston on Sunday because of a left oblique muscle strain. Reaves participated in an individual shooting workout Saturday.

Reaves and Luka Doncic are less than four weeks removed from their Grade 2 injuries suffered on April 2. Doncic (left hamstring strain) remains out for Game 4, but with the Lakers close to extending their season into the second round, Doncic's potential postseason return becomes more realistic.

Needing a win Sunday to extend his season, the Rockets' Kevin Durant is questionable because of a left ankle sprain. The superstar forward missed Game 1 because of a bruised right knee and injured his ankle late in Game 2. He has been receiving treatment "around the clock," Rockets coach Ime Udoka told reporters Saturday. Durant was running on an underwater treadmill during Friday's game, and will test the ankle out again before Game 4.

"Every day that goes by, the likelihood goes up," Udoka said of Durant playing. "But I thought he might be OK [Friday] based on shootaround and that's different going half speed and then ramping it up right before a game. And so you really can't tell, but he's doing everything he can to get back."

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