The Houston Rockets stayed alive of their playoff collection with the Los Angeles Lakers, posting a 99-93 victory Wednesday that despatched the Western Convention collection to Recreation 6 on Friday in Houston.
After LeBron James banked in a shot to chop the Rockets’ result in three within the remaining three minutes, Reed Sheppard reestablished management for the Rockets. He hit a 15-foot pull-up shot, stole the ball from James and scored on a dunk to push the result in seven factors.
Each Rockets starter scored in double-digits, led by Jabari Smith Jr., who made 4 of 9 3-point photographs and scored 22 factors. Alperen Şengün had 14 factors, 9 rebounds and eight assists, and Tari Eason scored 18 factors.
James, who within the Lakers’ Recreation 4 loss scored 10 factors and tied his career-playoff low with two discipline targets, led the Lakers with 25 factors and added seven assists. He capped an 11-1 run within the fourth quarter that sliced a 13-point Rockets result in three, 88-85, with a basket with 2:59 left.
James missed two 3-pointers within the remaining 30 seconds because the Lakers desperately tried to drag even, and was 0 for six from past the arc.
The Lakers acquired excellent news earlier than the sport when Austin Reaves, who had been sidelined by an indirect harm, was dominated match to play. In his 2026 postseason debut, he was the Lakers’ first substitute and completed with 22 factors. He was 12-for-13 from the free-throw line and 4-for-16 from the sector.
Listed below are our fast takeaways from Los Angeles:
The Rockets held on
It seemed just like the Rockets had been going to do it once more.
After going up 13 within the fourth quarter and controlling a lot of the second half, Houston out of the blue began to lose its grip — and doubtlessly its season. The Lakers chipped away, and James minimize the deficit to 3 with a hovering left-handed layup that introduced Crypto.com Enviornment to life.
Then, the youngest participant on the ground grew up earlier than our eyes. Sheppard, Houston’s embattled second-year level guard, briefly misplaced his deal with, gathered himself, and calmly knocked down a pull-up jumper. On the subsequent possession, he stripped James close to the rim and raced the opposite means for a dunk, pushing the lead again to seven.
That sequence was sufficient. The Rockets steadied themselves, closed it out, and compelled a Recreation 6.
After wanting overwhelmed by way of the primary three video games of the collection, Houston out of the blue seems completely different: extra composed, extra assured, extra prepared. They’re one house win away from pushing this collection to the brink of historical past. No staff has ever come again from a 3-0 deficit within the NBA playoffs.
However with every recreation, the Rockets look a bit of older, and the Lakers rather less sure. Possibly Ime Udoka wasn’t fallacious when he challenged his staff to develop up after Recreation 3. — Will Guillory, Rockets author
Reaves helped, however not sufficient
Reaves’ return mitigated the Lakers’ turnover issues, however it didn’t clear up them. Marcus Sensible, who made so many huge performs within the first three video games of the collection, made far too many dangerous ones Wednesday in Recreation 5, ending with six of the Lakers’ 15 turnovers. Los Angeles finally closed with Luke Kennard, regardless of Kennard lacking all of his discipline targets.
It wasn’t simply Sensible. James, who had 16 turnovers mixed in Video games 3 and 4, acquired stripped at midcourt by Reed Sheppard inside the ultimate three minutes to snuff out what was left of a Lakers’ comeback.— Dan Woike, Lakers author
Again to Houston
The Los Angeles Lakers acquired Austin Reaves again after 27 days out with an indirect harm. That ought to have been excellent news, proper? It wasn’t that easy.
The Lakers caught with the identical lineup of Marcus Sensible, Luke Kennard, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton and it labored. They jumped out to their quickest double-digit lead of the collection, whereas Reaves got here in and seemed sturdy, hitting a deep ball-screen 3, getting a layup to go excessive off the glass and incomes three free throws.
All of it went downhill from there. Kennard by no means acquired into his circulation, fading out after his current offensive surge. He completed with one level in 31 minutes, lacking all 4 of his photographs, and ultimately misplaced his closing function as Reaves opened the second half in his place.
The lead went simply as rapidly. The Lakers blew their first-half cushion, once more and this time there was no response. The Houston Rockets have improved with every recreation on this collection, and Recreation 5 adopted that sample.
Reaves produced, scoring 22 factors and 12 of 13 from the road, however the total influence was uneven. He dedicated three turnovers, missed 12 of 16 photographs and struggled to complete on the rim, an anticipated byproduct of the lengthy layoff. Extra importantly, Houston outscored the Lakers by 5 factors in his 34 minutes in a recreation it gained 99-93.
The silver lining is that Reaves is again, and the Lakers acquired an opportunity to knock off his rust.
However now, they get to fly again to Houston, and the Lakers have to discover a new identification with Reaves again within the fold. — Legislation Murray, NBA author