Lakers lose Game 5 to Rockets and fail to close out series
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Apr 30
Lakers lose Game 5 to Rockets and fail to close out series
21 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Apr 30
Austin Reaves returned from a Grade 2 oblique strain to score 22 points and six assists at Crypto.com Arena, but Houston won 99-93 as all five starters scored in double figures.
LeBron James had 25 points and seven assists, and Deandre Ayton added 18 points and 17 rebounds, but the Lakers' 24 turnovers and five made three-pointers proved costly.
Houston has won two straight to cut the series to 3-2 heading home for Game 6, with no NBA team ever overturning a 0-3 deficit in a best-of-seven series.
Are the Lakers' 'unplayable' reserves the real reason their title hopes are fading?
Was Houston's three-point barrage a fluke or a fatal flaw in the Lakers' defense?
Can Coach Redick's adjustments prevent the Lakers from a historic playoff collapse?
Is LeBron James' fourth-quarter fade a sign of fatigue or a larger team issue?
How much is Luka Dončić's absence truly costing the struggling Los Angeles Lakers?
How are the Rockets thriving in the playoffs without their superstar Kevin Durant?