Rockets Live On, Stun Clippers in Game 5

On top of elimination, James Harden was also suffering from flu-like symptoms and needed an IV the morning of the most important game of the year for the Rockets.

Down 3-1, the Houston Rockets came back from two crushing losses to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 5 and keep their season alive.

Throughout the series, the Clippers had proved to be the more energetic and more dominant team.  In one night it all seemed to go out the window as the Rockets delivered a one-sided 124-103 victory.

James Harden, for the second time in three years, required medical treatments to compete during the post-season. With the Rockets’ season on the line, he overcame it to have a triple-double with 26 points, 10 assists, and 11 rebounds.  It was the first triple-double in the playoffs for the MVP runner-up.

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Harden received assistance from Dwight Howard who overcame his abysmal Game 4 to provide 20 points and 15 rebounds.

In addition to Harden and Howard, four of the players on the Rockets roster entered double-digits, led by Trevor Ariza who provided 22 points and Corey Brewer who had 15.

James Harden had no time to be sick as he pulled through for the Rockets.

The Clippers did not play with the level of urgency necessary to put the Rockets away and it reflected in the stat line.

Blake Griffin led the way with 30 points and 16 rebounds.

Chris Paul had a double-double of his own with 22 points and 10 assists.  Outside of that, the rest of the squad was relatively subdued compared to the rest of the series.  Matt Barnes had only 5 points and J.J. Redick had 9.

The only noticeable number was Spencer Hawes who scored 11 off the bench.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers commented on the Rockets performance, stating the following in a post-game interview:

"They were more focused.  They played like they were the desperate team and we didn’t play very desperate."

Austin Rivers created concern for the Clippers in the third quarter when he crashed to the court and lay on the floor clutching his side for several minutes.

The review showed him crashing hard onto his hip.  After being taken out of the game he returned in the fourth quarter to give Paul rest.

While Game 4 saw both teams employ a Hack-a-Shaq strategy to prolific effect, Tuesday night was very subdued for both teams.  DeAndre Jordan made 16 trips to the line and made 7 shots.

Dwight Howard by comparison made 7 of 14.  The strategy was mostly employed when the Clippers began cutting deep into the 23 point lead in the third quarter.

Bottom Line: The Clippers Can’t Afford To Let Off The Gas

With the victory, the Clippers will now head back to Staples Center with a sense of urgency.  The victory on Tuesday night provides a huge boost in morale for the Rockets but the Clippers need to keep in mind that they are one win away from going to the Conference final for the first time in franchise history.

The Clippers are tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers as being the closest to the conference finals and they will need to be focused for Game 5 if they are to regain control and get the rest they would need to face either the Warriors or the Grizzlies.

Game 6 of the Clippers-Rockets series will take place on Thursday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, live on TNT at 6:30 pm PT.