'Too Old for That S--t,' LeBron Reacts to Jabari Smith's Diss in Video After Lakers Loss to Rockets

LeBron James isn't giving any lip service to Jabari Smith Jr.'s claim that the Houston Rockets are the better team after a 99-93 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday to force a Game 6 in their Western Conference playoff series.

Speaking to reporters after the game, James simply said he's "too old for that s--t" when asked about Smith's comment.

Smith's comment stemmed from a place of always having confidence in his team, as he said he's believed the Rockets are always better than anyone they are playing:

"I don't care who we play. I don't care what team I'm on. When we was winning 22 games, I'd probably say we the better team every night. I mean, people going to take how they want to take it, but I don't care. It's just a mindset, but you got to get on the court and prove it. ... You can't just say it and then come out and tuck your tail. You got to get out there and fight and do the things that it takes to win. So, I'm going to stand on that statement, and we just got to keep proving it."

Rockets-Lakers Highlights

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Neither team should be eager to brag about how this series has played out so far. The games have generally been close, but the quality of play would not make a lot of highlight reels.

It could be argued that the Rockets have played better than the Lakers despite trailing in the series. They appeared to be in control of Game 3 late in the fourth quarter before an implosion allowed the Lakers to steal a win in overtime and take a 3-0 series lead.

In the two games since that loss, the Rockets have outscored the Lakers 214-189. Los Angeles has been held under 100 points in consecutive games for the first time all season.

Austin Reaves' return in Game 5 didn't provide a boost to the Lakers offense. His shot looked rusty, making just four of 16 field-goal attempts, but he still finished with 22 points by getting to the free-throw line 13 times.

James is also struggling to find his touch right now. He has scored 35 points on 11-of-29 shooting from the field with 16 assists and 10 turnovers between Games 4 and 5.

The biggest difference in the past two games compared to Games 1-3 is Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard have stopped making shots. They combined to average 41.7 points per game in the three wins, but have scored a total of 28 points in the two losses.

Houston's offense had the big performance in Game 4 with 115 points, but Wednesday marked the third time in the series it failed to break the 100-point mark against a Lakers defense that ranked 20th in rating during the regular season.

Despite this recent swoon, James and the Lakers are still in control with a 3-2 series lead going into Game 6 at Toyota Center on Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

If the Rockets win on Friday, they will become the first NBA team to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-0 in a series since the Boston Celtics in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals.

No NBA team has ever come back to win a best-of-seven series after losing the first three games.