Rockets Lakers Basketball
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, right, shoots as Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., left, and guard Aaron Holiday defend during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Los Angeles.
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Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points, Tari Eason added 18 and the Houston Rockets avoided playoff elimination for the second straight game with a 99-93 victory over the Lakers in Game 5. Los Angeles' lead in the first-round series is down to 3-2. Alperen Sengun had 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who sent the series back to Houston for Game 6 on Friday night with a gritty performance to overcome Austin Reaves’ 22-point return to the Lakers. LeBron James scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half and added seven assists, but missed two 3-point attempts in the final minute.
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