Houston Rockets: Top 10 moments from 2017-18 NBA season
2. Chris Paul’s late heroics in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals
With a trip to the Western Conference Finals officially on the line, Chris Paul managed to exorcise some demons of postseasons past, putting together arguably the greatest outing of his Hall of Fame career.
The nine-time All-Star put up a playoff career-high 41 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds to help the Rockets extinguish the Utah Jazz with a 112-102 win in Game 5 of the 2018 Western Conference semifinals.
"“He went out there and took over the game,” Harden told reporters. “He went to go get it. He put us all on his back and said listen: ‘I got us.’ “He had that look in his eyes.”"
CHRIS PAUL IS NOT HUMAN RN pic.twitter.com/lTrNY3Oytf
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/994056197719273473
In a game in which Harden could not find his rhythm, Paul managed to prove to his critics just how much he could lead the Rockets when needed, taking complete control of the offense to exploit countless Jazz defenders within the pick-and-roll late.
He used the specific set to get to his spots and nail several consecutive shots on the way to scoring 20 points in the final frame. The veteran showed a strong level of resiliency to help guide Houston to its second Western Conference Finals appearance in the last four seasons, finally reaching a stage many thought he never would.