The Los Angeles Lakers missed another chance to close out their playoff series, falling 99-93 to the Houston Rockets in Game 5 on Wednesday. The result cuts the Lakers’ once-commanding 3-0 lead to 3-2 and forces a tense Game 6 in Texas.
Jabari Smith Jr. led the Rockets with 22 points, while Tari Eason added 18 in a determined team performance. Houston once again coped without Kevin Durant, who has missed most of the series through injury, yet still produced a balanced display to keep its hopes alive.
Houston Rockets 99-93 Los Angeles Lakers
LA Lakers, boosted by the return of Austin Reaves after a nine-game absence, started brightly. However, Houston Rockets gradually took control and opened up a 13-point lead midway through the fourth quarter. LeBron James tried to engineer a comeback,
finishing with 25 points — 17 of them in the second half — but Los Angeles struggled from long range and committed costly turnovers.
“We just couldn’t make shots,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick. “Missed some layups, certainly had some good looks for three that didn’t go down. But we’ll take a look at the whole process.”
Houston’s composure in the closing minutes proved decisive. A pivotal sequence from Reed Sheppard, who stole possession from James and converted a crucial dunk, helped seal the win.
“After what happened in Game 3, we could have very easily shut it down and pouted and quit,” Sheppard said. “That’s not what we did. We watched it and we learned from it. We keep fighting and keep giving ourselves a chance to win.”
Alperen Şengün also contributed across the board while emphasising the belief within the squad. “We put ourselves in a bad position, but we can still make history and come back one game at a time,” Şengün said. “Play at home, come back here, just do the same thing we’re doing.”
“Listen, it’s one game,” James said. “You give credit where credit is due. They played well the last two games, exceptionally well, and we’ve got to answer the call.”
With no team in NBA history overturning a 0-3 deficit, the Rockets remain outsiders — but momentum has clearly shifted heading into Game 6.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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