Los Angeles lead the first-round series 3-2, but are +150 moneyline underdogs for Friday in Houston while Kevin Durant remains out.
Houston forced Game 6 with a 99-93 Game 5 win in Los Angeles, led by Jabari Smith Jr's 22 points, as the Rockets won a second straight elimination game.
Austin Reaves returned with 22 points after an oblique injury, but Luka Doncic is still sidelined by a hamstring problem, leaving the Lakers with a thinner margin for error.
With both teams missing stars, can the Lakers avoid making NBA history with a 3-0 collapse, or will Houston's balanced attack force a Game 7?
Could the Rockets' late-season chemistry without Durant signal a permanent shift in their roster strategy, or is this playoff run just an anomaly?