Los Angeles– In the final minutes of Game 5, Rockets fans had a “here we go again” moment.
LeBron James’ shot at the rim turned the Rockets’ seven-point lead with 30 seconds left into a three-point lead — and Houston fans recalled their team’s collapse in the final 30 seconds of Game 3.
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Only this time, Reed Shepard took care of the ball, created space off a screen by Alperon Sangon and drained a mid-range jumper. Then Sheppard stole the ball from LeBron James and dunked it uncontested.
“We definitely remember what happened in Game 3 and we don’t want that to happen again,” Sheppard said. “So just being able to come together, make the right plays, get into the right offensive combinations and get good shots, that’s what we can do.”
Houston came out strong in the final seconds to win 99-93, avoiding elimination and cutting the series lead to 3-2 over the Lakers. The series now moves back to Houston for Game 6, but the vibe inside Crypto.com Arena is that everyone will be back here for Game 7 on Sunday.
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Jabari Smith Jr. was the main force for the Rockets, scoring 22 points on 4-of-9 shooting from three-point range and grabbing 7 rebounds.
“He’s everywhere on the court, in any situation, passing, rebounding, his versatility is always to our advantage,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said after the game. “I thought the overall game was outstanding… He controlled the game, was aggressive offensively and versatile defensively, and we couldn’t have done it without him.”
Austin Reaves returned from a strained hamstring strain, and Lakers fans packed the crypto Wednesday night in anticipation of celebrating winning a series that no one gave them a chance before the game began.
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Early on, it looked like they would get that chance. The Lakers’ defense was excellent, and the Rockets’ offense was in trouble again, especially in the half-court offense. They scored 21 points in the first quarter, made 2 of 9 three-pointers, and scored zero fast break points. The Rockets trailed the Lakers by seven points after 12 minutes and felt lucky they were so close. That dynamic changed at the start of the second quarter, as the Rockets’ 3-point shooting began to decline. The Rockets opened the scoring with 4 of 7 shots and quickly regained the lead. After halftime, the Rockets were 51-47. In the second quarter, they made 6 of 12 three-pointers, with a shooting percentage of 55%, and defeated the Lakers 30-19.
The Rockets continued this momentum into the third quarter and led by 11 points. At this point the Lakers launched an attack to cut into the lead, and the Rockets began a pattern of responding with key shots and blocks. LeBron James scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, but Reeves started to look tired, shooting 1 of 8 from the field. In this game, LeBron scored 25 points and 7 assists, and Reeves scored 22 points on 4 of 16 shots (he went to the free throw line 13 times). DeAndre Ayton contributed 18 points and 17 rebounds.
Smith scored 22 points, Tarry Eason scored 18 points, and Amen Thompson scored 15 points. The Rockets did all this without Kevin Durant, who is out with a bone injury in his ankle.
No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series. The Rockets still need two hard-fought wins to make that happen, but after Wednesday night, it feels like it’s possible.
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“I don’t think we’re done yet,” Ethan said.