Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers: Game Highlights (1:31) Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers: Game Highlights (1:31) Associated Press Apr 30, 2026, 01:19 AM ET LOS ANGELES -- 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 on Wednesday night, trimming Los Angeles' lead in the first-round series 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 ' return to the Lakers. Houston has won two straight even without top scorer Kevin Durant , who has missed four of the series' five games with injuries. No team has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA playoff series, but the Rockets are halfway. Only four of the 159 teams to start a series down 3-0 have ever forced a Game 7.…