With only five points being the margin of defeat, it was another close game in this Rockets-Warriors series and yet another win for the home team. Game 5 of the Warriors-Rockets series is in the books and the to teams continues to entertain. The Rockets-Warriors series has been a close one. It's the fourth series in NBA history in which each of the first five games were all decided by six points or fewer. pic.twitter.com/SHpowGu63h - ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 9, 2019 Even without Kevin Durant for the last 14:05 of the game, the Warriors hung on to defeat the Rockets in Game 5, 104-99, behind 27 points from Klay Thompson and from 25 points from Steph Curry. Despite 31 points from reigning MVP James Harden, the Warriors now hold a 3-2 series lead, capping off yet another close finish to a game in this series. For more on the Game 5 win, here are the key takeaways: Curry steps up in Durant's absence Kevin Durant left the game with a right calf strain in the third quarter. When one star went down, another star stepped up. Stephen Curry had nine points shooting 4-for-14 from the field and 1-for-8 from 3-point range, with just one free throw attempt when Durant left the game with just over two minutes remaining in the third. Curry scored four quick points to close out the third, and with a player like him, all it takes is seeing one go through the basket. He got to the free throw line to start the fourth quarter and sunk both attempts. Next possession down the floor he buried a 3-pointer and at that point, he was officially heating up. On the ensuing possession, he hit a turnaround midrange jumper, giving him 11 points in just over five minutes from when Durant checked out. He stepped up when his team needed him most, finishing with 25 points for the game. From the time Durant left till the end of the game, Curry scored 16 points, shooting 5-for-9 from the field and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc with two assists and two rebounds. Third quarter comeback The Rockets were trailing by just three points with six minutes remaining in the first half, then the Warriors made their run. Golden State scored 17 consecutive points and closed out the half strong, taking a commanding 14-point lead into halftime. Houston wasn't done fighting and they showed that right from the go in the second half. PJ Tucker buried a 3-pointer and Chris Paul finished a layup at the rim for five quick points to set the tone. Throughout the rest of the quarter, the Rockets slowly but surely chipped into the Warriors' lead. James Harden was in control the entire frame, attacking off the dribble to get to the free throw line seven times. He scored 12 points in the quarter but also dished out three assists and came up with two steals on defence. Tucker was the spark-plug for Houston, scoring seven points and grabbing five boards while also notching a pair of steals himself. He was all over the court making positive things happen left and right to bring his team back within striking distance. Trailing by seven with four and a half minutes left in the quarter, the Rockets rattled off six straight points to bring them within one. By the end of the quarter, the Rockets had tied the game at 72, holding the Warriors to just 15 points in the period. Houston forced six Golden State turnovers, resulting in 11 points the other way in the Rockets' favour. CP3 struggles offensively; Harden scores one basket in the 4th Q It was a rough shooting night for Chris Paul. In 38 minutes on the court, en route to his 11 points, he shot 3-of-14 from the field and 0-of-6 from beyond the arc (both of which are 2019 postseason lows). Despite his offensive struggles, the Rockets were still in the game and James Harden had a lot to do with that. He had 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting with 8 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals but the Beard had only two points in the last 8:30 of the game: James Harden's shot chart over the final 8:30. No Durant. Chance to steal Game 5 with a chance to then close out at home. The guard with the most dominant scoring season in 30 years... ... takes one shot. pic.twitter.com/tbUjH1lGF4 - Micah Adams (@MicahAdams13) May 9, 2019 Over the last 8:30 of the game, the Warriors outscored the Rockets 24-20 with Harden and Paul combining for only six points (four free-throws). Warriors win rebounding battle; win the game Each of the previous four games in the series, the team that won the rebounding battle had won the game. Game 5 was no different. The Warriors outrebounded the Rockets 42-39 (12-8 on the offensive glass) courtesy of a huge spark provided by Kevin Looney. The reserve, in 22 minutes had a playoff career-high 9 rebounds and finished with a +5 for the game. Despite those extra shots from the rebounds, the Warriors also outshot their opponents. The hosts shot 39-of-85 from the field (45.9%) and 13-of-37 from beyond the arc (35.1%). On the other hand, the Rockets shot 33-of-79 from the field (41.8%) and 12-of-41 (29.3%) from long distance. With no timeline announced so far for Durant's return, can the Warriors close this series out in Game 6 or will the trend of home wins continue, forcing a Game 7 back at the Oracle Arena?<doc-sep>In a game that was available for the taking behind enemy lines, the Houston Rockets squandered a golden opportunity in Game 5 of the 2019 Western Conference semifinals. On an evening where the Houston Rockets were working to gain command in their best-of-seven series against the Golden State Warriors on the road, the team that entered the postseason as one of the hottest teams to watch in basketball put forward its best effort to show the heart of a noble soldier in the heat of battle. They would compete. They would fight. They would rally back from a 20-point deficit in the third quarter to enter the final frame in a virtual knot against their archrivals. However, Houston’s matter of resolve and valiant stand would prove to be not enough at the sound of the final buzzer. Klay Thompson scored a team-high 27 points alongside Stephen Curry‘s 25 points to help the defending champion Warriors overcome Kevin Durant‘s calf injury and survive in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, 104-99. “They hit bigger shots than we did,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni told reporters following the loss. “It was just…a few loose balls, few rebounds that we just didn’t come up with which we have been. “We started the game well, but then they got up on us 20 points. It’s hard to battle all the way back which we did and then go into the fourth quarter and we’re tied…we just couldn’t get it done.” James Harden — who posted a total of 79 points in his last two playoff outings combined — led the way for the Rockets once again with a game-high 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field, while Eric Gordon added 19 points in the loss. Here are the three takeaways from Clutch City’s Game 5 outing.<doc-sep>CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the video on a mobile device Watch the live reactions from Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni as well as the players following Wednesday night’s thrilling Game 5 of the Western Conference playoffs. The Warriors grabbed a 3-2 series advantage with the 104-99 win at Oracle but also suffered a loss. Golden State was dealt a rough blow when Kevin Durant left the game with a strained right calf in the second half. His status for Game 7 on Friday night in Houston is not yet determined.<doc-sep>
Game 5 of Warriors-Rockets started with the look of a Golden State blowout as Draymond Green dished out eight assists in the first quarter, and the two-time defending champs ran out to a 14-point advantage. They would extend that lead to as many as 20 in the second quarter, and with Oracle rocking, it was hard to see the way back for Houston as Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson combined for 37 points in the first half. However, in the third quarter Houston would make a furious comeback, managing to erase the Warriors advantage and even things up going to the fourth quarter, as James Harden came alive, with help from some of the role players around him to win the third 29-15. Not only were the Warriors suddenly struggling on both ends of the floor, but they found themselves having to finish the game without Kevin Durant after he suffered a calf strain late in the third. Oh no. Durant to the locker room after taking a bad step… pic.twitter.com/0HqjNcfUwa — Dime (@DimeUPROXX) May 9, 2019 In the fourth quarter, the two teams jockeyed for the lead for much of the period, with Eric Gordon hitting some big threes late as he chipped in 19 points to go along with 11 off the bench from Iman Shumpert. Curry, who had struggled with his shot for much of the night, found his rhythm at the right time, with 12 of his 25 points coming in the final quarter. Steph Curry is up to 10 PTS in the 4th, 23 total!#StrengthInNumbers 89#RunAsOne 88 4:29 left on @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/uVFdpbXzdN — NBA (@NBA) May 9, 2019 With the Rockets pulling within two late, it was Green who managed to hit a three to keep Houston at bay and extend the Golden State lead, which was followed up by a turnover and a Klay three to force a Rockets timeout as the Warriors went back up by eight. The Rockets would not go away, clawing back within four points after Green fouled out with a reach-in foul on Gordon, who hit both free throws. The Warriors were able to do just enough at the free-throw line and somehow avoided a late disaster by coming up with a loose ball for a Klay Thompson layup with four seconds to play to ice it and win 104-99, giving themselves a 3-2 series lead. How did the Warriors get a bucket out of this? ?#StrengthInNumbers#NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/d3c2YWLKhO — NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 9, 2019 Houston gambled on not fouling, and it nearly paid off, but Gordon couldn’t hold onto the ball as he crashed into Curry’s legs and Thompson was able to cut to the rim. Now, the series shifts back to Houston as neither home team has lost yet, but the Rockets will be facing elimination if they become the first home squad to blink.