Russell Westbrook did his best to steal the show, but it was James Harden and the Houston Rockets who are moving on in the playoffs. Behind Harden's 34 points, eight rebounds, and four assists and 16-17 shooting from the free throw line, the Rockets showed resilience in that even when they aren't hitting threes, they can still pull out a series. Russell Westbrook dropped 47 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists in the loss.
What went wrong for the Thunder
The issues the Oklahoma City Thunder had all series and all year was that Westbrook couldn't carry this team for a whole game, and no one on his team can help him.
The Thunder's second-leading scorer Enes Kanter couldn't even see playing time because how bad of a defender he was. Combining that and a tired Westbrook in each fourth quarter, the Thunder could only come out with one victory.
Other than the obvious lack of shooting on the floor for OKC, even guys who should be putting in work for them were not. Victor Oladipo struggled all series long and especially in game 5 with just 10 points on 4 of 17 shooting.
Positive signs for the Rockets
This was in no way a great series for the Rockets. It was a win, so they'll take it anyway they can get it, but it was quite ugly. Their 3-point shooting through the series was atrocious, and it took some excellent attacking at the rim to take these four wins.
On the bright side for Houston, they controlled the boards well against one of the best rebounding teams in the league, and when the game got to crunch time, guys were hitting shots.
Even though Harden struggled from deep all series when the game was getting into clutch possessions he was making clutch baskets. This was a great series for the Rockets to prove to everyone that even if they don't hit threes, they can get it done.
Lou Williams continues to pick up the slack that Ariza and Ryan Anderson aren't bringing. Time and time again it's looking like this Lou Will trade was amazing for Houston. He and Eric Gordon are a lethal combo together off the bench. The main thing the Rockets need to do heading into their next series is getting Anderson and Ariza their rhythm back.
Looking ahead
The next step for the Rockets is a really tough matchup against either the Grizzlies or the Spurs. After watching the Thunder series, it's clear that a team that has a play-maker is a problem for Houston.
Their team defense isn't garbage, but it's not pretty either. No matter who they play in the next round, it is going to be a battle, but it will sure be entertaining.
