Rockets Beat Lakers 99-93 in Game 5, Trail 3-2

The Houston Rockets staved off elimination for the second straight game, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 99-93 in Game 5 of their first-round NBA playoff series on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The victory trimmed the Lakers' series lead to 3-2 and shifted Game 6 to Houston on Friday.

Jabari Smith Jr. led the Rockets with 22 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks, anchoring a defensive effort that held Los Angeles to 93 points and forced 15 turnovers. Four other Houston players reached double figures in scoring, including Tari Eason with 18 points and Alperen Sengun with 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. The Rockets shot 44 percent from the field and made 14 three-pointers, overcoming an 11-point deficit in the first half to pull away late.

The win came a day after Smith, a fourth-year forward, declared ahead of the game that Houston was "obviously the better team" from top to bottom. "You can say that's an opinion. You can say I'm biased, but I just feel like we're the better team," Smith said Tuesday. After the game, he stood by the mindset. "It's just a mindset to have. I don't care who we play... You've got to get out there and...