Rockets handle pressure in clutch this time, hold on to beat Lakers 99-92 in Game 5, stave off elimination
The Lakers still lead the series 3-2 but it feels like the Rockets have figured some things out, and gotten more confident.
LOS ANGELES ā There was a "here we go again" moment for Rockets fans in the final minutes of Game 5. A LeBron James bucket at the rim had turned a seven-point Rockets lead just 30 seconds earlier into a three-point lead ā Houston fans had a flashback to their team's collapse in the final 30 seconds of Game 3. Except this time Reed Sheppard took care of the ball, created space off an Alperen Sengun screen, and drained a midrange shot.
Then Sheppard just ripped the ball away from LeBron James and went in for the uncontested dunk. REED SHEPPARD. CLUTCH.
The jumper, the steal, the flush... Houston's lead is back up to 7 with 2:20 remaining! They can force Game 6 with a W pic.
twitter. com/ktycOoOcEh ā NBA (@NBA) April 30, 2026 "We definitely remember what happened in game three, and we didn't want to let that happen again," Sheppard said. "So just being able to stick together and make the right play and get in the right offensive sets and get good shots, and that's what we were able to do.