Jabari Smith Jr. and the young Rockets are 1 win away from facing LeBron James and the Lakers in a Game 7.
Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. proclaimed the Rockets are the better team in their first-round Western Conference series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bold and confident, and exactly what you would expect from a young player whose positive impact in the series is growing by the game.
“It’s a mindset to have,” Smith said. “I don’t care who we play. I don’t care what team I’m on. When we were winning 22 games (2022-23 season), I’d probably say we’re the better team every night. … I don’t care whoever I’m with on the court, I’m going to think my team is better than the other team.”
Nineteen years older than Smith and with the wisdom of a player who has appeared in 297 playoff games and 10 NBA Finals, Lakers star LeBron James said, “The game’s won between the four lines.”
Besides, James said — and we’re paraphrasing here — he’s too old to engage in a back-and-forth about the veracity of Smith’s statement.
Let Smith have his say, and let the series unfold on the court. This twisting and entertaining series went from “Are the Lakers going to sweep?” to “Can the Rockets force a Game 7?”
With the Lakers up 3-2 following a 3-0 advantage, Game 6 is on Friday in Houston (9:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video).
Here are three things to watch:
1. How Rockets can force Game 7
The Rockets’ two victories were impressive. They could have folded after blowing a six-point lead in less than 30 seconds in Game 3, but responded with a 115-96 victory in Game 4. They could have had enough pride to avoid a sweep and exited the playoffs in a five-game series. But they took Game 5, 99-93, on the road, and the idea that Game 7 is possible was born.
Rockets coach Ime Udoka said his young team – the current five starters are 24 years old and younger – needed to grow up. He meant that he wanted to see growth. Take care of the basketball. Make smart plays. Understand that every possession is magnified and important.
The Rockets have done that.
Houston is without Kevin Durant, who missed Game 1 with a bruised right knee and Games 3-5 with a sprained and bruised left ankle. He is listed as doubtful for Game 6. So, minus the game’s No. 5 all-time leading scorer and a two-time champion, the Rockets have been fueled by Smith (22), Alperen Sengun (23), Tari Eason (24), Reed Sheppard (21) and Amen Thompson (23).
In the two victories, Thompson, Smith and Eason have each scored 19 points per game, Sengun is averaging 16.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 5 apg and 1.5 spg, while Sheppard (14.5 ppg) is shooting 42.9% on 3-pointers.
Each has made timely offensive and defensive contributions. That same poise, focus and free-flowing play will give the Rockets a shot to become just the fifth team to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-0. No team in 160 previous 3-0 series has come back to win Game 7.
“We have a resilient group that plays hard and is very competitive every night,” Udoka said. “Rarely do we get blown out. If we have a deficit we fight back, and we might have lost some leads, but that’s kind of our DNA.”
2. Lakers need to rediscover their shooting
In this era of the NBA, it’s difficult to win a playoff game without making at least 10 3-pointers. In Los Angeles’ Game 4 loss, it made five 3-pointers. In Game 5, it made seven. That’s after making 11.7 3s per game and shooting 46.1% in the first three games of the series. The Lakers are at 24.5% from 3 in the past two games.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said the Lakers had good looks from long range in Game 5, but shots didn’t fall. James, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard and Austin Reaves were a combined 5-for-23 in Game 5 … and James, Smart and Kennard were a combined 0-for-8 in Game 4. James has missed 12 consecutive 3-point attempts since making a game-tying 3 with 13.6 left in the fourth quarter of Los Angeles’ Game 3 overtime victory.
The Lakers have scored fewer than 100 points in the two losses, and Redick pointed out that holding a team to 99 points should be good enough to get a victory. Credit Houston’s defense, which has forced turnovers, created steals and made 3-point shooting more uncomfortable for Smart and Kennard.
3. LeBron in closeout games
Before Game 5, James’ teams had never lost two consecutive closeout games since 2006, and up 3-0 in a series, James’ teams prior to this series had never been pushed to a Game 6. Every other time, it’s been a sweep or a five-game series.
James is 41-15 in closeout games and averaging nearly a 27-point triple-double in those games. Is James headed for his ninth Game 7? Or a conference semifinals matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder?
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Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at jzillgitt@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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