The Los Angeles Lakers were heavy underdogs coming into their first-round playoff matchup against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets, with the consensus being that the storied franchise wouldn’t be able to compete in this seven-game series without stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves . However, the Lakers proved resilient, winning the first three games of the series, taking advantage of Durant’s absence. The superstar forward ended up missing all but Game 2 due to a knee issue and a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle. Veterans LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton all stepped up in this series, helping the team close things out with a win in Game 6 to advance to the second round. JJ Redick Reveals Key to Lakers' Success vs.…