Forward Jabari Smith Jr. said before Wednesday’s Game 5 that the Houston Rockets were “obviously the better team.” The fourth-year pro backed up the remark by scoring a team-high 22 points, grabbing seven rebounds and blocking two shots as Houston stayed alive against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“It’s just a mindset,” Smith said after the victory. “Whoever I’m with on the court, I’m going to think my team is better.”
The Rockets dropped the first three games of the opening-round series—including a late collapse in Game 3—but have now won two straight and can even the matchup at 3–3 on Friday when the series shifts to Houston.
Smith averaged only 20.4 minutes in last year’s postseason. Through five games this spring, he is logging 42.0 minutes and producing 19.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest. “You can’t just say it and then tuck your tail,” he noted. “You’ve got to get out there fighting.”
Sheppard Steadies Backcourt
Rookie mistakes by Smith and Reed Sheppard contributed to Houston’s Game 3 collapse, but the second-year guard was poised while battling a cold on Wednesday. After Los Angeles cut a double-digit deficit to three with an 11-1 run, Sheppard answered with four consecutive points to halt the rally. “We didn’t want to let that happen again,” he said.
Young Core Showing Growth
Head coach Ime Udoka praised the development of Houston’s youthful rotation—Smith, Sheppard, Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson and Tari Eason. The Rockets have held the Lakers below 100 points in back-to-back games. “You start this really young lineup, and they are somewhat battle-tested now,” Udoka said. “We needed to show growth in certain moments, and I think we did that tonight.”
Durant Still Sidelined
On Thursday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain) will remain out for Game 6. He is officially listed as doubtful, making his return unlikely as the series resumes in Houston.
The Rockets and Lakers meet Friday with Houston looking to force a decisive Game 7.
Source: Hoops Rumors
