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.