With six minutes to play the score was tied 97-97. Chris Paul went to the hole and threw some mess up that had little chance of going in, but he chased down the offensive rebound. In the same possession, Eric Gordon missed a layup, and again, Paul was there to chase down the ricochet. The Rockets didn’t score on that trip up the court, but it was a symbol of their resolve in trying to save their season. Keep hope alive? Nah, keep games alive. Keep quarters alive. Keep possessions alive. Shot by shot, dribble by dribble, the Rockets’ season was on the line. The problem was, the Golden State Warriors smelled blood. Their best player, Kevin Durant, was sidelined with a calf injury. Their next best player, Steph Curry, took the first half off. And, yet, the two-time defending champion was in position to claim a road win Vegas oddsmakers deemed improbable. Improbable is silly when talking about the Warriors. They did what they do. Curry came to life, scoring 33 points in the second half, including 16 in the final three minutes as the Warriors ended the Rockets’ season for the fourth time in the last five seasons, with a 118-113 win Friday night at Toyota Center. Golden State claimed a 4-2 series win and advances to the Western Conference finals for the fifth consecutive season. The Rockets hit the offseason short of the NBA Finals for the 24th straight season, after not taking hold of the game when it was there to be had for the second straight contest. The Rocket were 16-1 in the playoffs when leading after three quarters under coach Mike D’Antoni, but allowed 36 points in the fourth quarter in the loss. Elimination games present different pressure. The team that needs a win to close it out is often playing with house money. Knowing they would have a Game 7 at home Sunday, the Warriors didn’t seem to play with the urgency the Rockets brought early on. Curry took only five shots in the first half and didn’t make one. Credit the Rockets with solid defense, but Curry was out of sorts from the get-go. On the other end, the Rockets needed Paul to make an impact and he did that, scoring 27, the most he has had in this year’s playoffs. Yet, the Rockets didn’t control the game. With Curry quiet and Durant at home watching on television, the Rockets should have made an early statement. Instead, they let the Warriors hang around. Correction: The Rockets didn’t let the Warriors hang around. The Warriors showed their championship mettle once again. Slam the Rockets if you like, but nobody has given the Warriors a better test than the Rockets the last two seasons. The LeBron James-led Cavaliers beat Golden State in the NBA Finals three seasons ago, with a comeback from a 3-1 hole, but otherwise the Warriors have cruised. This series was a play or three from having a different outcome, but those plays were made by the Warriors. None of the six games was decided by more than six points. Two years ago, the Rockets played a Game 6 in the conference semifinals against a team missing its best player and they failed to show up. The Spurs spanked them 114-75 These Rockets showed up with a more determined approach. For the series, the Rockets have gotten off to slow starts in their losses, scoring 19, 20 and 17 points to start Games 1, 2 and 5. The 28 points in the first quarter Friday marked their best of the series. But the 36 points they gave up in the fourth, albeit a number bolstered by some late free throws, were the most they surrendered the entire series. Six minutes to play, season on the line. The Rockets folded. jerome.solomon@chron.com twitter.com./jeromesolomon<doc-sep>Michael Starghill Jr. / Special to The Chronicle The Warriors’ 118-113 series-clinching victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday was praised by a Hall of Famer, celebrated by heated rival and watched by the Mother of Dragons. Yes, social media was a special place after Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals, with much attention given to Stephen Curry’s heroics that included 33 points in the second half, 23 in the fourth quarter alone.<doc-sep>The Houston Rockets had a golden opportunity to extend their season at home Friday night against a shorthanded Warriors team without Kevin Durant, but for the second consecutive year, Houston came up short in their own building in a must-win game against Golden State. The Rockets led by seven points in the fourth quarter, but the duo of Klay Thompson and Steph Curry delivered in the clutch, combining to score 19 points in the final 3:09 of the game. Curry scored all 33 of his points in the second half after getting into early foul trouble. James Harden, meanwhile, made two costly mistakes that cost the Rockets possessions. After cutting the Warriors’ lead to two points with a stepback three, Harden committed an offensive foul near midcourt on Houston’s next possession, needlessly shoving Draymond Green, who seemed to be intent on baiting Harden into a foul. Moments later, after Curry hit a three to put the Warriors up five, Harden’s inbound pass was intercepted. Steph Curry hits 3 and the Rockets just throw the ball away LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL pic.twitter.com/Jmi6yfnze3 — gifdsports (@gifdsports) May 11, 2019 Klay Thompson, who finished the game with 27 points, hit a dagger three to put the Warriors up 110-104 with 36 seconds remaining, and Curry closed out the game from the free throw line to send Golden State to the Western Conference Finals. NEVER underestimate the heart of a Champion‼️‼️ — LeBron James (@KingJames) May 11, 2019 The James Harden Rockets have lost elimination games against both Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard teams without Durant and Leonard. Let that marinate. — Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) May 11, 2019 Salute to the Warriors! No KD on the Road! Steph scoreless at the half! And they still find a way to win! Heart of a champion! I was wrong! — Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) May 11, 2019 People underestimate Steph Curry at their own peril — David Gardner (@byDavidGardner) May 11, 2019 Ova! — Nick Young (@NickSwagyPYoung) May 11, 2019 This is why we were all mad that Kevin Durant went to the Warriors. — Zach Rosen (@ZacharySRosen) May 11, 2019 Once Paul Pierce picked the Rockets today it was pretty much a wrap — Andre Dawkins (@dre_dawkins) May 11, 2019 "Hey Houston – are you ever going to beat Golden State in the playoffs?" Rockets: pic.twitter.com/dCoYUxUpsG — The Greek Sportsbook (@BetTheGreek) May 11, 2019 The Rockets walking back to the locker room after Game 6. pic.twitter.com/hpG1OUkj4O — Andy Nesbitt (@anezbitt) May 11, 2019 Rockets at go to time….. GERALD GREEN!!! LMAO — Robert Littal (@BSO) May 11, 2019 Harden and Steph facing the same exact coverages and Harden just tossing it to Eric Gordon and hoping he does something while Steph is creating and destroying. I don’t want to hear about Harden ever again. — Boogie Bousins (@bansky) May 11, 2019<doc-sep>
Welp. The Houston Rockets were in a great position to take the Western Conference semifinals to a seventh game, and perhaps even win the series outright this weekend with the Golden State Warriors losing Kevin Durant for at least the next week. Instead, they blew a seven-point fourth quarter lead on their home floor for the season to end in brutal fashion. And once again, Rockets GM Daryl Morey took to Twitter, like he has the last four years, to congratulate the Warriors. Just brutal. Warriors fans might as well celebrate the occasion with a holiday. After all, Golden State now beats Houston on an annual basis in the playoffs around this same time each season. Daryl Morey congratulates the #Warriors for winning the series and proving they are still the best #DubNation pic.twitter.com/GoY3u9EfmI — Warriors Nation (@WarriorNationCP) May 11, 2019 Friday's loss marks the fourth time in four years that the Rockets had their season ended by the Warriors dynasty, falling in five games during both the 2015 and '16 postseasons, with the '15 loss in the conference finals and the '16 series in the first round. A Game 7 loss without Chris Paul in last year's conference finals seemed to convince the Rockets, their fans, and even the NBA consensus that CP3's presence would equal an ultimate triumph against the current league kingpins. Instead, a shorthanded Golden State continued their excruciating dominance over a Rockets side so desperate to get past this real-life boss battle. It's a loss that will sting in the Lone Star State for quite some time and leave more questions than answers for Morey to contemplate.