LeBron James
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A dreaded historic scenario for the Los Angeles Lakers is taking shape following their Western Conference first-round Game 5 loss to the Houston Rockets, 99-93, on Wednesday, 29 April. For the Lakers it was costly with their series lead now sliced to just one game, 3-2.

For LeBron James, it is what it is. The only thing he and the Lakers can do now is move forward and figure out what kind of adjustments the Purple and Gold need to make.

'We don't have a lot of time to dwell on it,' the Lakers superstar said via the Associated Press. 'It's going to be even harder. Every game is hard. It's so hard to close out a team in the postseason, to win a series, and this is our first time doing it as a unit, so we'll see what we've got,' James added.

A look at the NBA record books shows that no team has ever blown a 3-0 lead. Further, only four teams who reached that point have allowed a seventh game. Could this be where LA is headed?

Lakers Offensive Struggles Create Growing Postseason Danger

For James, the Lakers need to do better offensively. In Game 5 against the Rockets, the Lakers shot 42.1% from the field, making 32 of their 76 shot attempts.

However, a glaring statistic is their three-point shooting. They made only 7 of their 27 attempts from beyond the arc, resulting in a measly 25.9%. The Rockets did better, converting 14 of their 40 three-point attempts for a 35% shooting clip.

'As much as we've got to defend, we've also got to score, too. I don't think we did that at a good rate, especially in the second and third (quarters),' James said.

James led the Lakers' losing effort with 25 points, seven assists, and three rebounds. However, he was 0 for 6 from beyond the arc.

The Lakers lost despite welcoming back Austin Reaves to the fray. The 27-year-old guard provided James with the needed help, dropping 22 points and six assists in 34 minutes of action.

Reaves Admits Lakers Were Offensively Atrocious

The return of Reaves arguably raised the odds of a Lakers win. Unfortunately, they failed to knock in important shots that proved costly. Aside from James, Reaves admitted that they just had a horrendous shooting night.

'It helps when shots go in,' Reaves stated. 'Bron had three or four in the first half that went in and out. I missed two easy layups. I missed two or three good looks from three-point range, one mid-range. But you make shots, you miss shots, and we'll move on to Friday.'

With the series shifting to the Toyota Center, not only will the Rockets carry the momentum, but they will also have the support of the home crowd. That was shown in Game 4 when Houston broke into the win column, 115-96.

However, the Rockets will need to prove that their Game 4 win was no fluke. In the regular season, the Rockets hosted the Lakers twice and lost. These were on 17 March, when LA won 100-92, and again two days later (19 March), 124-116.

Rockets Gain Momentum as Pressure Shifts to Los Angeles

Beyond that, one thing that the Lakers need to be wary of is that the longer the series goes, the wiser Rockets players are becoming. Ime Udoka feels this is what best explains what is happening, adding that they were in the same predicament against the Golden State Warriors in the 2025 playoffs.

At the time, Houston was down 3-1 against the Dubs but rallied back to force a Game 7. Unfortunately, they fell to the Warriors. But it shows that the Rockets are resilient and stubborn, something that could spell trouble for the Purple and Gold.

'It's just showing growth in certain moments and progress in certain moments,' Udoka said via ESPN. 'And I think we did that tonight.'

For the Lakers, it will be up to James and Reaves to continue to carry the load. Luka Dončić's return to help is unlikely, with the Slovenian guard still recovering from a hamstring injury.

As for the Rockets, Kevin Durant is likely to continue watching from the sidelines. The 2014 Most Valuable Player continues to sit out due to an ankle injury.

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