Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. called his shot Tuesday. On Wednesday night, Houston made it look real.
The Rockets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 99-93 in Game 5, trimming their series to 3-2 and sending the first-round matchup back to Houston — one day after Jabari Smith Jr. declared the Rockets were “obviously the better team.”
LeBron James wasn’t interested in engaging.
“I don’t care about s— like that, bro, the game is won between four lines,” James said after Game 5. “I don’t give a damn. Who cares?”
If anything, the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer expected it.
“Of course, you would say that,” James continued. “Why would you say, ‘No, we’re not the better team?’ Ask them young guys that question. I’m too old for that s—.”
For a second straight game, the Rockets backed up their young star’s belief. Smith led the Rockets with 22 points, while James finished with 25, 11 coming in the fourth quarter. Houston shot 44 percent from the field and 35 percent from deep, converting 14 3-pointers to the Lakers’ seven. The Rockets’ defense forced 15 turnovers and, despite Los Angeles building an 11-point lead at one point, fought back to stave off elimination.
All of this happened without the services of all-world talent, Kevin Durant, who missed his fourth game of the series with a bruised right knee. In his absence, Smith carried the load, while Alperen Şengün contributed 14 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.
On Tuesday, prior to Game 5 in Los Angeles, Smith was asked to clarify where his belief that the Rockets were better than the Lakers came from and in what aspects he felt they had an advantage.
“I just feel like, from top to bottom,” Smith said. “You can say that’s an opinion. You can say I’m biased, but I just think we’re the better team.”
For the Lakers, behind James, Austin Reaves returned from a Grade 2 oblique strain, his first game since April 2. In 34 minutes off the bench, Reaves scored 22 points, while Deandre Ayton added 18 points and 17 rebounds.
The series now returns to Houston for Game 6 on Friday, with the Rockets trying to do what once seemed impossible: turning a 3-0 deficit into a Game 7. For Smith, his view hasn’t changed.
Asked Jabari Smith Jr. about talking that talk and standing on bidness… even when he knows the opposition has access to the internet pic.twitter.com/NEbiVVDx6z
— Law Murray 🪺 (@LawMurrayTheNU) April 30, 2026
“It’s just a mindset to have,” Smith told reporters postgame on Wednesday. “I don’t care who we play, I don’t care what team I’m on.
“But you got to get on court and prove it. You can’t just say it and then come out and tuck your tail. You got to get out there and fight and do the things that it takes to win.”
Now, the Rockets are trying to do exactly that.
