NBA Playoffs: Rockets Beat Lakers in Game 5, Trim Series Deficit
Al Jazeera
Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points and the Houston Rockets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 99-93 in Game 5, cutting their series deficit to 2-3. Despite Austin Reaves' return from injury, the Lakers could not close out the series at home. Game 6 is Friday in Houston.
Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points and Tari Eason added 18 as the Houston Rockets secured their second straight win, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 99-93 on the road in Game 5 on Wednesday (local time). The Rockets, facing elimination, fought back to trim the Western Conference first-round series to 2-3.
Alperen Sengun contributed 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Amen Thompson added 15 points for the Rockets. Trailing 3-2, the Rockets were down 0-3 earlier and are attempting a historic comeback, though no team in NBA history has ever overcome such a deficit.
“Everyone feels great,” Sengun said after the game. “No one is tired, and tonight everyone showed that. Now we go back in front of our family, our fans, protect our home court, and come back here for Game 7.”
Notably, the Rockets have won two consecutive games despite missing star Kevin Durant (ankle injury), who only played in Game 2.
For the Lakers, Austin Reaves returned from an oblique strain and scored 22 points off the bench. LeBron James led the team with 25 points. Deandre Ayton had 18 points and 17 rebounds. However, the Lakers could not close out the series at home and will have a third chance to advance when Game 6 takes place Friday in Houston.
“Credit to them, they deserved it,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of the Rockets. “They made shots tonight, even guys who don't normally hit threes. I thought our defense — you hope 99 points is enough to win, but we couldn't score. Missed some layups, definitely had some good looks from three that didn't fall.”
The Lakers remained without star Luka Doncic (hamstring strain), who along with Reaves was injured in an April 2 game at Oklahoma City. Both missed the final five regular-season games and the first four playoff games.
“It was fun to be back out there,” Reaves said. “I wish I would have played a little better, made a few more shots, but overall, I had fun and competed well.”
The Lakers started strong, leading by 11 late in the first quarter and finishing the period up 28-21. But the Rockets rallied in the second quarter with a 30-19 advantage, taking a 51-47 lead into halftime. Houston shot 6-of-12 from three-point range in the second and forced five Lakers turnovers.
In the third quarter, the Rockets extended the lead to 76-67. The Lakers cut it to 88-85 on a James layup with 2:59 remaining. Reed Sheppard answered with a steal and two made free throws to push the lead to 92-85. Houston then added four more free throws to go up 96-87. In the final 28 seconds, James and Reaves missed three three-pointers, and James could not get the Lakers inside as his deep miss with 12 seconds left sealed the outcome.
“I missed a lot of easy opportunities, and the whole team didn’t shoot well,” Reaves admitted. “We’ll look at the film, try to get better, and win a game on Friday.”
Rockets coach Ime Udoka praised his team: “A great performance from everybody. You're starting with a very young lineup, and they've been through adversity. You want to see growth, and I think we showed that tonight — locking in late, handling the ball calmly, making shots, and hitting free throws.”
Meanwhile, Luke Kennard, who averaged 25 points in the first two games and 17.8 over the first four, was held to 1 point on 0-for-4 shooting in Game 5.
