NBA: Rockets, Pistons stay alive with Game 5 wins

Rockets 99, Lakers 93

Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points and Tari Eason added 18 as the Houston Rockets staved off elimination for a second straight game, pulling back into their first-round playoff series with a 99-93 road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Alperen Sengun finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Amen Thompson added 15 points for the Rockets, who now trail 3-2 in the best-of-seven Western Conference series after falling into a 3-0 deficit. No team in NBA history has overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series.

Houston has won back-to-back games without star Kevin Durant, who has been sidelined since Game 2 due to an ankle injury.

Austin Reaves led the Lakers’ bench with 22 points in his return from an oblique injury, while LeBron James scored 25 points. Deandre Ayton added 18 points and 17 rebounds for Los Angeles, which will have another chance to clinch the series in Game 6 on Friday in Houston. The Lakers remain without Luka Doncic, who is out with a hamstring injury.

Pistons 116, Magic 109

Cade Cunningham delivered a career playoff-high 45 points as top-seeded Detroit kept its season alive with a win over visiting Orlando in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Tobias Harris added 23 points and eight assists for the Pistons, who still trail 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. Ausar Thompson contributed six points, 15 rebounds, six assists and five steals in a strong all-around performance.

Orlando’s Paolo Banchero matched Cunningham with a career playoff-best 45 points, adding nine rebounds and seven assists in a losing effort. Anthony Black scored 19 points for the eighth-seeded Magic. Franz Wagner missed the game due to a calf strain.

Cavaliers 125, Raptors 120

Dennis Schroder scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, and James Harden finished with 23 points as Cleveland rallied past Toronto to take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

The Cavaliers, who overcame multiple 12-point deficits, have now won all three of their home games in the series. Evan Mobley added 23 points and nine rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell scored 19. Harden also contributed nine rebounds, five assists and six turnovers in a game-high 39 minutes and 45 seconds.

RJ Barrett led Toronto with 25 points, while Ja’Kobe Walter posted a career playoff-high 20 points, knocking down six 3-pointers on 14 attempts. Raptors forward Brandon Ingram exited in the second quarter with a right heel injury and did not return. -Field Level Media/Reuters