After Houston’s 99-93 Game 5 win in Los Angeles, Kendrick Perkins argued that the Lakers had wasted an opportunity veteran teams are supposed to recognize.
“That was a must win situation for the Lakers last night and they fu*king blew it,” he said, before adding that the Rockets now have a real chance to make history and come back to win the series.
Kendrick Perkins says the Rockets are going to make history and comeback and win the series:
“That was a must win situation for the Lakers last night and they fu*king blew it. I said the Rockets are the dumbest team in the postseason, well guess who’s right behind them the Los… https://t.co/mignrFyJYR pic.twitter.com/ZuOW4Y5uqC
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) April 30, 2026
The history part is the point. No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series. Houston is still one loss away from elimination, and the Lakers still lead 3-2. But after two straight Rockets wins, the conversation has shifted from “Can Houston survive?” to “How nervous should Los Angeles be?” The Rockets’ Game 5 victory made them just the 16th team in NBA history to force a Game 6 after falling behind 3-0.
Perkins’ frustration came from the messiness of it all. He called Houston “the dumbest team in the postseason,” then said the Lakers were right behind them, pointing to the turnovers and sloppy decision-making that made Game 5 feel less like elegant playoff basketball than a contest of who could stop self-sabotaging first. The Lakers shot 42.1% from the field, 25.9% from three, and committed 15 turnovers that led to 18 Houston points.
But underneath the profanity was a real basketball argument. Houston looks bigger, younger, more athletic, and suddenly far more convinced. Jabari Smith Jr. backed up his public confidence with 22 points in Game 5, Tari Eason added 18, and Alperen Şengün’s playmaking gave the Rockets structure when the game threatened to dissolve.
That is why Perkins’ rant works. It is not polished, but it is alive. The Lakers had the series in their hands, at home, with a chance to end the noise. Instead, they gave Houston another game, another flight, another belief.
And belief is dangerous once it starts wearing sneakers.
