Marcus Smart 21 points vs Rockets (Apr 24, 2026): First round Game 3
21 PTS · 5-of-9 FG · 2-of-4 3P · 9-of-11 FT · 39:17 MIN
Usual: 2025-26 regular season, 62 games, Oct 21 – Apr 12 (9.3 PTS · 7.7 FGA · 28.5 MIN)
Game Score 27.1 against a usual 7.3 (+19.8)
above usual
Playoff game · against the 2025-26 regular season
No more than 2 in 100 games by players at this level finish this far above their usual: playoff games, each against the player's regular-season usual.
How the score worksWhy did Marcus Smart score 21 points?
In Game 3 of the first round against the Rockets on Apr 24, 2026, Marcus Smart scored 21 points in 39:17: 5-of-9 from the field, 2-of-4 from three, 9-of-11 on free throws (81.8%). Coming in, Smart had averaged 9.3 points on 7.7 shots in 28.5 minutes, from 62 regular-season games. Points by shot type, against the usual: free throws 9 (1.7), two-pointers 6 (2.9), threes 6 (4.7). Playing time was 39:17, against a usual 28.5 minutes; per 36 minutes, the Game Score was 24.8, against a usual 9.2. Smart had 10 assists, against a usual 3.0. At the Rockets, the Lakers won 112-108. The box score records what changed, not why: it holds no injury, matchup or coaching information.
Generated from the box score and this season's game log. How the score works
What changed
Smart in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (62 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 39:17 | 28.5 | +10.8 |
| Points | 21 | 9.3 | +11.7 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 5-of-9 | 7.7 · 39.5% | +1.3 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 2-of-4 | 4.7 · 33.1% | -0.7 |
| FTA · FT% | 11 · 81.8% | 2.1 · 82.2% | +8.9 · -0.4 |
| Rebounds | 4 | 2.8 | +1.2 |
| Assists | 10 | 3.0 | +7.0 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1.5 | +1.5 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 62 games | 20.1 | 15.5 | +4.6 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 24.8 | 9.2 | +15.6 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (62 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threes | 6 (2-of-4) | 4.7 (1.6-of-4.7) | +1.3 |
| Twos | 6 (3-of-5) | 2.9 (1.5-of-3.0) | +3.1 |
| Free throws | 9 (9-of-11) | 1.7 (1.7-of-2.1) | +7.3 |
| Total | 21 | 9.3 | +11.7 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
27.1 against a usual 7.3 (+19.8)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | +10.9 |
| Rebounds | +0.5 |
| Assists | +4.9 |
| Steals and blocks | +4.8 |
| Turnovers and fouls | -1.3 |
| Total | +19.8 |
This postseason so far
Playoff games in date order, this game last; no score
| Date | Round | Opp | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 2026 | First round · Game 1 | vs HOU | 33:36 | 15 | 2 | 8 | 9.0 |
| Apr 21, 2026 | First round · Game 2 | vs HOU | 35:30 | 25 | 2 | 7 | 26.1 |
| Apr 24, 2026This game | First round · Game 3 | @ HOU | 39:17 | 21 | 4 | 10 | 27.1 |
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Lakers won 112-108 at the Rockets.
- Previous appearance: Apr 21, 2026, 3 days earlier.
- Earlier in this series: 15 points (Game 1), 25 points (Game 2).
What this page cannot tell you
The same on every performance page
Box scores record what happened, not why: no injuries or health, defensive assignments, matchups, coaching decisions or play-by-play.
Game Score against the player's own regular-season usual line, never blended with last season. How rare a gap is comes from NBA playoff games of 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26, each postseason checked on a table fit on the others; the top tier is Rare.