Nobody was going to confuse this for a track meet. This was an old-school playoff game with a couple of old-school superstars in every sense; bodies on the floor, plenty of contested possessions and defense dictating the pace from the opening tip.Through it all, LeBron James was the steadiest presence on the floor, and it showed in the result. The Lakers won Game 2 of their first-round series against the Rockets 101-94 Tuesday night, taking a commanding 2-0 series lead heading to Houston.Here are three key takeaways from Game 2:Lakers' defense sets the tone, breaks Kevin DurantThe Lakers held Houston to under 41% shooting for the second straight game, only this time the Rockets had Kevin Durant back in the lineup. Durant looked like himself in the first half, scoring 20 of Houstons 50 points.But once the third quarter got underway, Los Angeles attacked Durant frequent and random traps, full-court pressure and aggressive doubles that came from different angles at different times. There was no pattern to it, which was the point. Every time Durant caught the ball, he had to make a decision under duress. The result was one point in the third quarter and two points in the final frame, with nine turnovers on the night. His inability to get clean looks made Houston's offensive scheme stagnant and ineffective. Some of that does fall on coaching; Ime Udokas rotations were lacking and countermeasures were nonexistent.The tone was set by Marcus Smart. From the opening whistle, he was all over the place. Two steals in the first quarter, relentless pressure on every ball-handler and a physicality that spread through the entire unit. When your team's best defender brings that energy, it becomes contagious. Houston never found its rhythm because the Lakers never let it.Alperen engns not doing enoughengn finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds but still cost Houston the game. He shot 9-of-20 from the field but 7-of-17 in the paint 41% in the area where he's supposed to dominate. He missed makeable looks at the rim that would have shifted momentum in a relatively close game.Worse, there were stretches when he was fishing for fouls and laboring through possessions trying to draw calls that work in the regular season but wont get called in the postseason. With Durant turning it over and the bench and role players providing next to nothing (besides Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson), engn is the one player capable of being an unwavering presence inside. He wasn't, and Houston is going back home having lost a game they won on the glass as they normally do. Fifty-four paint points, 17 offensive rebounds and 21 second-chance points all good for Houston. But engn specifically needs to convert around the rim and step up as the second-best player for the Rockets.Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard are true X-factorsLuke Kennard shot 8-of-13 for 23 points. Marcus Smart shot 8-of-13 for 25, with five 3s on seven attempts and seven assists. Those two also combined to go 8-of-13 from 3; Houston's entire team shot 7-of-20 (24%) from 3. The Lakers are shooting the ball at a different level than the Rockets, and it's coming from players Houston doesnt appear ready for. For the Rockets to right the ship in Houston for Game 3, someone besides Durant, Smith and Thompson needs to shine. Tari Eason shot 4-of-14. Reed Sheppard barely played and, along with Aaron Holiday and JaeSean Tate, the trio combined to go 0-for-8 from the floor. With Austin Reaves possibly nearing a return, the Rockets have to go back to the drawing board and implement schematic changes to get their role players more involved in the offense. Otherwise, this could be a quick series.