The Houston Rockets have avoided a playoff elimination for the second straight game with a six-point win over the LA Lakers, further trimming the deficit to 3-2.

Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points and Tari Eason added 18 as the Rockets won 99-93 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Alperen Sengun had 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who sent the series back to Houston for Game 6 on Friday night with a gritty performance to overcome Austin Reaves' return to the Lakers.

Houston have won two straight even without top scorer Kevin Durant, who has missed four of the series' five games with injuries.

No team has ever recovered from an 0-3 deficit to win an NBA playoff series, but the Rockets are halfway. Only four of the 159 teams to start a series down 0-3 have ever even forced a Game 7.

LeBron James scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half and added seven assists, but Los Angeles lost their second straight after stealing Game 3 with an improbable rally in the final seconds of regulation.

James' teams have never blown a 2-0 series lead in his entire 23-year NBA career.

Reaves had 22 points and six assists in his return from a nine-game injury absence for the Lakers, but they committed 15 mostly atrocious turnovers in their worst performance of the series and only their second loss in 16 home games since February.

In Detroit, Cade Cunningham scored a franchise playoff-record 45 points, including a step-back jumper with 32 seconds left, as the top-seeded Pistons beat the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic 116-109 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff.

Orlando lead the series 3-2 and will get a second chance to advance at home on Friday night (Saturday AEST).

The Magic fell to 0-10 in franchise history on the road in a Game 5.

Detroit never trailed on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) and went ahead by 15 points early in the final quarter.

The Magic made one more run, pulling within three points on Paolo Banchero's sixth three-pointer with 1:09 left. Banchero matched Cunningham with 45 points, also a playoff career high, but missed seven of 12 free throws.

In Cleveland, Dennis Schroder scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers rallied for a 125-120 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 5 of their series.

Schroder's teammate Evan Mobley hit a pair of pivotal three-pointers in the final period and finished with 23 points for Cleveland, who lead the series 3-2. Game 6 is on Friday night in Toronto.

James Harden scored 23 points and Donovan Mitchell added 19 for the Cavaliers.

RJ Barrett led Toronto with 25 points, while Ja'Kobe Walter added 20 and Jamal Shead had 18 off the bench.