The series between the Lakers and Rockets heads back to Houston where Game 6 will be held on Friday. This will be L.A.’s third attempt to close the series.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets
When: 6:30 p.m. PT, May 1
Where: Toyota Center
Watch: Prime Video
Over the last two games, the Rockets have controlled the series in a vast array of ways. Whether that’s simply playing like the more desperate team or being the better team on both ends of the court, Houston has put the pressure on the purple
and gold and it’s only about to get more intense in Game 6.
A lot of what the Lakers were doing right in the first three games of the series has gone the other way. The Rockets certainly deserve credit for that, but now it’ll be up to the Lakers to rediscover what brought them success in this series. That’s what will dictate whether or not Los Angeles can close this series out.
Can the Lakers regain their shooting?
Over the last two games, the Lakers have only converted 12 of their 49 attempts from the 3-point arc. That’s a huge disparity from the first three games. A lot of this has to do with Luke Kennard regressing to the mean and, of course, the Rockets stepping up their perimeter defense.
But still, L.A. is a better shooting team than what they’ve shown in Games 4 and 5 and it’s important that they regain that. Otherwise, their offensive struggles will help the Rockets force a Game 7.
Where will L.A. get its spark?
In Games 1 and 2, it was Kennard and Marcus Smart. In Game 3, it was those two and Rui Hachimura. But in the last two, it feels as if the Rockets’ role players have outplayed the Lakers as a whole.
Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and co., have all stepped up in helping Alperen Şengün, which is why it feels like the Rockets are a step ahead of the Lakers in dictating the game’s pace and momentum. This has to change for the purple and gold, who badly need another spark plug alongside LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
Can the Lakers handle pressure?
Coming off a game they should’ve absolutely won at home, the Lakers have made things harder for themselves by now having to win on the road. They know what’s at stake if they don’t and that’s being an inch closer to potentially being on the wrong side of NBA history as the first team to blow a 3-0 lead.
Fortunately, the team is filled with veterans, and they’ve dealt with enough adversity all season to know how to handle this type of pressure. In fact, they’ve shown on multiple occasions this season that they can rise to the occasion, and that’s what they have to do once again. The team has been built and trained for moments like this.
That’s why this is a must win game for the Lakers who have to go all out in Game 6. Let’s see if third time’s indeed the charm for the purple and gold on Friday.
Notes and Updates
- Speaking of what needs to change in Game 6, in the Lakers’ last two losses, they committed a total of 39 turnovers while the Rockets have had 27 steals. This is unacceptable and something that needs to be addressed as well.
- For the Lakers’ injury report, Luka Dončić (left hamstring strain) is out.
- As for the Rockets, Fred VanVleet (ACL surgery) and Steven Adams (left ankle surgery) are noted as out while Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain) is doubtful.
You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.
