Rockets cruise past Warriors in Game 5 to avoid elimination

HOUSTON (AP) — Pushed to the brink of elimination, the Houston Rockets delivered a playoff gem Wednesday night time to beat the Golden State Warriors and hold their season alive.

Fred VanVleet scored 26 factors, Amen Thompson added 25 and the Rockets prolonged their first-round playoff collection with a 131-116 rout in Recreation 5.

“Nobody wants to go home,” Alperen Sengun stated.

Recreation 6 is Friday in San Francisco.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr threw within the towel early on this one with the sport out of hand. A layup by VanVleet halfway by way of the third quarter made it 93-64, and Kerr known as timeout and cleared his bench.

Houston coach Ime Udoka adopted go well with with a few minute to go within the third and his staff up 105-76. He put all his starters again in with about eight minutes left after Golden State minimize the result in 109-92.

Dillon Brooks added 24 factors on an evening when all 5 Houston starters scored in double figures.

VanVleet, a nine-year veteran who received a title in opposition to Golden State whereas with Toronto in 2019, tried to encourage his younger teammates by reminding them that they’ve been in each sport.

“Keep everything light and fresh and and confident and understand that we have played good basketball,” he stated. “It’s not like we were getting our (expletive) kicked the whole time.”

A 9-5 run by the Warriors bought them inside 114-101 earlier than a fracas broke out with about 4 minutes to go. Pat Spencer pushed Brooks after which was ejected after headbutting Alperen Sengun within the ensuing scuffle.

Houston went on a 7-2 run after that to place the sport away.

“Houston was great and they took it to us right away,” Kerr stated. “But like I said, it was an important finish.”

Reserve Moses Moody led the Warriors with 25 factors. Golden State’s 76 bench factors had been essentially the most in a playoff sport for the franchise since 1970-71, when starters started being tracked.

The Rockets put collectively their greatest efficiency this postseason after dropping each video games in California, together with Recreation 3, which Jimmy Butler sat out with an harm.

“We came out aggressive, executed offensively and defensively,” Jalen Inexperienced stated. “We had a professional approach and handled business.”

The Rockets raced to a 14-point lead after one quarter and by the point Stephen Curry made his first basket on a 3-pointer halfway by way of the second, they led 55-32.

That they had a 27-point lead at halftime behind 19 factors from VanVleet.

Butler managed simply eight factors in 25 minutes on 2-of-10 taking pictures after combining for 52 factors within the two full video games he’d performed on this collection.

Curry was 4 of 12 for 13 factors after scoring greater than 30 factors in two of the primary 4 video games to maneuver the Warriors inside a sport of clinching the collection.

The Warriors made 15 of 44 3-pointers and shot 41.7% total. The Rockets made 13 of 30 3s and shot 55.1%.

By extending the collection, the Rockets have an opportunity to change into the 14th staff in NBA historical past to beat a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven collection. Houston has accomplished it twice, most not too long ago within the 2015 Western Convention semifinals in opposition to the Clippers.

The Warriors had been on the fallacious finish of such a comeback, dropping the 2016 NBA Finals to LeBron James and Cleveland after having a 3-1 benefit.

Golden State has dominated the Rockets within the playoffs, eliminating them 4 occasions between 2015 and 2019.

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