The veteran talked about LA's struggles in their Game 4 loss, and he attributed many of them to mental mistakes.
One bad game doesn't erase three good ones for the Los Angeles Lakers. But it can't be ignored, either. The Houston Rockets beat the Lakers 115-96 on Sunday, avoiding a sweep and cutting LA's series lead to 3-1. It wasn't close.
The Lakers turned the ball over 23 times, and Houston converted those into 30 points while recording 17 steals. On a night when everything that could go wrong did, LA looked like a completely different team from the one that stole a game in overtime just 48 hours earlier.
Marcus Smart provided a diagnosis for the Lakers' mistakes postgame. "A majority of them were mental," Smart said of the turnovers. "I was throwing passes to guys' legs, normal passes that we make on a regular basis. But it's something we gotta clean up. We know it and understand it."
That's good self-awareness from a veteran, and now it has to translate onto the court.
Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) defends against Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (36) during the third quarter during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn ImagesA Hangover Game in Every Sense
The context here is important. Game 3 was an all-time effort. LeBron James played 45 minutes, hit a game-tying three with seconds left, and willed this team through overtime. Smart had one of his best individual playoff performances in recent memory. The emotional and physical toll of that game was enormous.
LA came out flat from the jump Sunday, falling behind by nine at halftime and getting overwhelmed in the third quarter, with Houston building a lead as large as 25. The Lakers shot just 5-for-22 from three, and Deandre Ayton, who had been one of LA's best players in the game, as ejected after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul with 5:41 remaining.
Amen Thompson led Houston with 23 points on 10-16 shooting as the Rockets played with the kind of desperate urgency a team facing elimination typically brings. LA didn't match it.
Smart's Message Is the Right One
The temptation after a game like this is to panic. The Lakers aren't going to do that. Smart made that clear. "It's not gonna get easier, we understand that," he said. "But we've played this team for four games now and the first three we did very well. So we understand it, just gotta continue to stay poised and get through it."
That's the right message. Three of four games in this series, the Lakers have been the better team. They know Houston's schemes and they know they can get another win to close this out. One mental lapse doesn't change any of that.
Austin Reaves is also reportedly optimistic about returning for Game 5, which would give LA a significant boost heading back home to Staples Center. Getting Reaves back into the lineup changes the dynamic entirely, it takes pressure off Smart as a creator and gives LeBron another release valve.
The series isn't in danger. But Sunday was a reminder that nothing about this run is going to be easy. The Lakers know what went wrong, and now they've got a chance to execute.