The Houston Rockets have made it a series with back-to-back wins to make it 3-2 between them and the Los Angeles Lakers. Will the Rockets force a Game 7? Or, will the Lakers finish Houston in six games?

Catch this game live on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at 9:30 AM, Manila time.

Away: Los Angeles Lakers (3-2)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Marcus Smart
  • Austin Reaves
  • Luke Kennard
  • LeBron James
  • Deandre Ayton

There is nervous energy in La La Land. After winning the first three games of the series and looking like they were going to wrap it all up in four, the Lakers now find themselves trying to avoid a historic collapse after they lost the last two games of the series, including their 99-93 home loss in Game 5 on Thursday. 

Los Angeles’ offense has struggled to stay consistent in the last two games, and even the return of Austin Reaves in Game 5 did not quite resolve the issue. Reaves probably worsened the problem in the last outing, shooting 4-for-16 (22 points) with three turnovers. Perhaps that was mostly just rust, and that it will get much better for him in Game 6. In any case, LA has to address its ball security issues after turning the ball over 39 times in the last two games.

Home: Houston Rockets (2-3)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Amen Thompson
  • Reed Sheppard
  • Kevin Durant 
  • Jabari Smith Jr. 
  • Alperen Sengun 

The Rockets are closing in on a historic feat, and they are doing it with Kevin Durant on the sidelines. Durant is expected to miss Game 5 with an injury, but Houston seems to have all the confidence it needs to take care of business. For one, the Rockets will be playing at home this Saturday. In Game 5, Jabari Smith showed the way for the team with 22 points on 6/13 shooting and four 3-pointers.

 But credit should also go to the Rockets’ defense, which held the Lakers to just 44% FG and 26% from behind the arc. Houston has lost the rebounding battle in the last two games and still came away with victories, but the Rockets can surely benefit much more by winning the possession battle by beating the Lakers on the glass – which is a task mostly hinged on how well Houston can box out DeAndre Ayton (17 rebounds in Game 5).

Picks

Spread: Houston Rockets (-4.0)
Over/Under: Over (206.5)