ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Lakers 4/29/2026 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 5)

Oh soooo it's a mindset, we aren't the better team? Trade him!!!!!

 

Sengun just struggles with this archetype. He can push around most centers in today's league, so when he encounters one of the handful of guys who can stand his ground he has a hard time dealing with it. However, I will credit him for still having an efficient scoring night (and hitting his damn FTs!) and coming up with some steals and a big block.

What I'm wondering is why we saw zero Clint Capela this game or the prior one and he's barely played at all in the series? Is he hurt? Or were the Lakers shooters just abusing him that badly in the PnR?

 

Capela should not be playing this series. I'm glad Udoka realized this. The formula does not need to change at this point, just keep moving Bari over to the 5 when Sengun rests and give him whatever small amount of minutes Capela got in games 1 and 2.

 

Ime is just ****ing stubborn. Ime benched JO at the beginning of the series for freaking tate for no reason and it cost them multiple games. JO is now playing really well (shouldn't have been taken out of the rotation).

Clint came in with JO and was benched with him for no reason too. funny thing is: Clint demolishes Ayton. Clint was killing Ayton in the regular season. one of the laker games the rockets lost, was because Ime benched Clint.

Sengun struggles with ayton. Clint should be getting minutes.

 

I disagree with you on Clint but liked the other part of your posts. Clint does not need to play this series.

 

I'm telling you, Clint demolishes Ayton. There is no way Ayton has 17 freaking rebs if Clint is playing backup minutes. All I know is we are all lucky DFS is making his threes. The only reason Clint is not playing (and why JO was taken out of the rotation initially) were early playoff nerves.

JT was playing center-ish because Ime panicked. We are lucky Ime wised up and started playing JO again.

 

I’m tired af but it was worth it

 

Do people actually enjoy watching this blowhard?

 

I got through about 20 seconds

 

you would never know it here on this forum full of basketball Einsteins.

“IS HE REALLY ONLY 23 YEARS OLD?” After the 93–99 loss to the Houston Rockets, the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers – JJ Redick – couldn’t hide his admiration for star Alperen Şengün. He said:
“He is truly a phenomenon. We didn’t lose to the Houston Rockets; we lost to Alperen Şengün. At just 23, he is already the central figure and an irreplaceable cornerstone of his team.”
https://brizomist.blog/posts/really...on-rockets-thanhky123-team-lucky-2563-sportus
Immediately after that, Alperen Şengün responded with just 11 words — leaving the entire arena and Coach JJ Redick stunned, unable to believe what they had just heard.

 

I've called Ime out for his stupidity all season long, so I'll give him props when he coaches well. He finally(hopefully not too late) benched Jae'Sean and Clint and went small ball in Game 4. I was terrified when the team got off to the slow start in Game 5 that he'd panic and revert to his wing happy tendencies, but he played Aaron in place of Reed and then went back to Reed later on(which paid off huge in the 4th). And he played DFS ahead of Jae'Sean which also paid off with the 2 made 3's.

The Rockets seem to have found a formula that works. And ironically I think the KD injury has helped. Not from the standpoint that the team is better without him, but just that there's now certainty about who's playing every game. With Durant's injury being serious enough that he's likely out for the series(he's already been ruled out for Game 6 according to Shams), Ime and the players have settled into this 8-man rotation that's been extremely successful.

 

HANGOVER DAY

 

The Rockets are getting beat up out there with only about a quarter of it called. It's handling this as a Rocket that matters.

 

The thing with Clint is that he kills the spacing with the second unit. Guys were cutting freely when we play small. I wish Ime would play Jeff Green over DFS but I can understand that DFS is a better defender. All I ask of him is to make some threes.

 

Dad is on the way to his next family.

 

Did the NBA start allowing hand checking? Smart/Reeves/Lakers defenders are just two hand checking all Amen and Reed drives.

 

On a side note - am I the only one having way more fun watching the kids we drafted than watching them defer to veteran mercenary Kevin Durant? I can't find it in me to like Kevin, so it's hard for me to enjoy watching him play.