The Houston Rockets are still in this.
After building a 31-point lead and forcing the Warriors to wave the white flag, the Rockets fended off a Golden State bench rally Wednesday night to secure a 131-116 Game 5 victory.
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Faced with the prospect of capping a 4-1 first-round defeat at home as the No. 2 seed, the Rockets survive and advance to Game 6. The series now shifts to San Francisco, where the Warriors will face a chance to close out the series at home with a 3-2 lead.
But for the Rockets, Wednesday’s game was strictly about keeping the series and their playoffs afloat. They punched the Warriors in the mouth early and held on late when the Warriors threatened to rally.
Houston rode a 15-0 run to a 20-8 lead midway through the first quarter. When the quarter was done, the lead was 40-24. It ballooned to 76-49 by halftime.
Alperen Şengün and the Rockets have extended the Warriors to Game 6. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Steve Kerr sends starters to the bench early
With Houston holding a 49-24 edge three minutes into the second quarter, TNT’s Candace Parker floated the idea of the Warriors resting their starters to save their legs for Game 6. It wasn’t an absurd proposition, especially considering Golden State’s considerably older roster.
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Midway through the third quarter, the Warriors reached the same conclusion. With Houston leading 93-64 and 5:50 remaining in the quarter, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield went to the bench. They didn’t return to the game.
Golden State’s backups finished the contest as head coach Steve Kerr prioritized rest for his starters in anticipation of Game 6.
Ime Udoka eventually followed suit and pulled Houston’s starters with the win apparently secure. But the game wasn’t over, and Houston’s starters weren’t done.
Golden State’s backups mounted a 21-7 run in the fourth quarter that cut Houston’s lead to 114-101. Udoka put his starters back in the game to fend off the rally. Kerr kept in his bench unit that mounted the comeback with a chance to finish the job.
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It didn’t. A late scuffle resulted in technical fouls on both teams and the ejection of Golden State’s Pat Spencer. Fred VanVleet hit one technical free throw and Dillon Brooks made two more from a personal foul to extend Houston’s lead back to 117-101, and Golden State’s rally deflated.
Fred VanVleet steps up again
While Golden State’s roster runs deep with playoff and championship experience, Houston’s is one of the least experienced in the postseason. But it was a playoff veteran who led the way Wednesday night.
Fred VanVleet was locked in from long distance and led the Rockets with 26 points in 33 minutes. He shot 8-of-13 from the field and 4-of-6 from 3 while pacing Houston to its big lead.
It was the second straight strong shooting effort from VanVleet, who scored 25 points while hitting 8-of-12 3-point attempts in Monday’s Game 4 thriller that Golden State won, 109-106.
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Those were the types of efforts the Rockets surely envisioned when they signed VanVleet from the Toronto Raptors in 2023 to run point on a roster filled with rising young talent. VanVleet, who won a championship with the Raptors in 2019, has been here before.
Where’s Jalen Green?
There were questions about this Rockets team regarding who would take on the role of closer in the playoffs on a team with so little playoff experience — and hopes in Houston that Jalen Green would be that guy. The question remains as VanVleet, Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson continue to share the load.
Green, Houston’s leading scorer during the regular season, took a back seat to his fellow starters for a fourth time in five games Wednesday night. He finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and two assists as Houston’s fifth leading scorer. His eight field-goal attempts were the fewest of any Houston starter.
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Thompson, meanwhile, finished with 25 points, six rebounds, three assists, five steals and three blocks as a two-way force. Şengün flirted with a triple-double with 15 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and two steals. Brooks added 24 points.
The double-digit scoring effort was just the second of the series for Green, who exploded for 38 points in Houston’s Game 2 win. But he’s scored seven, nine and eight points in Houston’s three losses and took on a secondary role Wednesday night. Houston’s unlikely to mount a rally in this series unless Green finds another gear.
Will Warriors bounce back at home?
For the Warriors, Game 5 is a throwaway. It got out of hand early, and they have two more chances to close out the series. But Game 6 on Friday will be their last chance to do so at home. If they don’t, they’ll face another flight to Houston, where Game 7 would be anybody’s game.
