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IT’S OVER: Lakers, LeBron James Loss in Game 5 Ended Two Impossible Streaks

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The Los Angeles Lakers had an all-time franchise record of 40-1 when leading a playoff series 3-1 entering Wednesday’s Game 5 against the Houston Rockets, with their lone loss coming against the Phoenix Suns in 2006. LeBron James had won 16 straight home games with a chance to clinch a playoff series at home — the longest streak in NBA history — entering Wednesday’s clash.

Both those decades-long streaks were snapped as the Lakers suffered a 99-93 loss at Crypto.com Arena.

James lost a closeout game at home for the first time since Game 5 of the first-round series against the Washington Wizards in 2008, when he and the Cleveland Cavaliers failed to close the deal after taking a 3-1 lead. The defeat not only extended the series but shattered two historic marks that had seemed nearly unbreakable.

The loss leaves the Lakers in a precarious position. If they fail to win one of the next two games against the Rockets, they will become the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 lead in the playoffs. According to reports, the Lakers now have a 28% chance of becoming the first team to suffer that infamous fate. Teams in NBA history are 0–160 when trailing 0–3.

The young Rockets team, playing without their leading scorer Kevin Durant, fully believes they’re capable of pulling off a shocking 4-3 series win.

“After what happened in Game 3, we could have very easily shut it down and pouted and quit,” said Reed Sheppard of his team’s mentality, via ESPN. “That’s not what we did. We watched it and we learned from it. We keep fighting and keep giving ourselves a chance to win.”

Houston’s resilience has been remarkable. By forcing a Game 5 victory on the road, the Rockets have injected new life into the series and shifted momentum. They open Friday’s Game 6 as 3.5-point favorites, but betting experts expect those odds to shrink further if Kevin Durant is cleared to return from his bone bruise in his sprained left ankle.

The Lakers’ struggles in Game 5 highlighted broader issues. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin noted that the team had played into the Rockets’ hands by allowing their opponents to dictate pace and physicality. One contributing factor was the compressed schedule: the 48-hour turnaround after playing into overtime in Game 3, followed by another quick turnaround and a 3½-hour flight to Houston for Game 6. Austin Reaves returned after a month-long absence and contributed 22 points with six assists, though he shot just 4-of-16 from the field.

Despite the setbacks, the stakes remain enormous. The winner of the series will advance to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. For LeBron James and the Lakers, the challenge is now clear: halt the Rockets’ momentum, reclaim home-court control in Game 6 if necessary, and avoid becoming a footnote in NBA history as the first team to squander a 3-0 series lead.

What once looked like a routine progression has transformed into a high-stakes battle of resilience versus experience. The impossible streaks are over. Now, a new chapter — one the Lakers desperately hope does not end in infamy — begins in Houston.