The Houston Rockets kept their playoff hopes alive by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 99-93 on the road in Game 5 of their first-round Western Conference series on Wednesday, cutting the Lakers' lead to 3-2. Jabari Smith Jr and Austin Reaves each scored 22 points for their respective sides, while LeBron James added 25 for Los Angeles, but Houston's balanced attack — anchored by Alperen Sengun's 14 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists — proved decisive. The Rockets, who have now won back-to-back games after falling into a 3-0 hole, will host Game 6 on Friday in what remains an uphill battle: no NBA team has ever recovered from a 3-0 series deficit to win a playoff series.