The Houston Rockets won 105-99 over the Oklahoma City Thunder at home to take game five and proceed to the second round of the NBA playoffs. It was a highly contested game, as The Rockets managed to overcome the deficit in the final quarter. The season is now over for Russell Westbrook, as he had another MVP performance.
The Rockets struggled from the outside but took advantage from the free throw line
James Harden was a leading scorer for the home team, as he scored 34 points in 37 minutes on the floor while shooting just 8 of 25 from the field and miserable 2 of 13 from downtown.
However, Harden went to the Free Throw Line 18 times, as he made 17 of his 18 free throw attempts.
He also had eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Patrick Beverley had a nice game with 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists, as he shot 6 of 10 from the field, 1 of 1 from the outside and 2 of 2 from the free-throw line in 26 minutes of play.
The Rockets bench trio played well, as they combined for 44 points. Lou Williams finished the game with 22 points and five rebounds, while shooting 7 of 14 from the field, 2 of 6 from the outside and 6 of 6 from the free throw line. Nene added 14 points and seven rebounds, as he shot 5 of 8 from the field and 4 of 6 from the free throw line.
Eric Gordon struggled with his outside shot, as he hit just one of his eight three-point attempts. He finished the game with eight points and six rebounds.
The Houston Rockets shot 6 of 37 from the three-point line as a team (16%), but they were successful from the foul line, as they hit 33 of their 39 free throw attempts (84%).
Russell Westbrook's historic season comes to an end
The Thunder playoff trip is over, but it has been a season to remember. Russell Westbrook averaged a triple-double at the end of the regular season, but he did it in the playoffs, too. He finished the game one assists shy of another triple-double, as he had 47 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists in 41 minutes on the floor.
Westbrook shot 15 of 34 from the field, as he took incredible 18 shots from the outside while shooting 5 of 18 from behind the arc.
Also, Westbrook missed 5 of his 17 free throw attempts. Victor Oladipo had ten points and six rebounds while shooting poorly 4 of 17 from the field. Taj Gibson also had ten points, as he shot 4 of 7 from the field. Jerami Grant and Alex Abrines added eleven points each while coming off the bench.
The Houston Rockets are looking forward to the Western Conference semifinals, as they now wait for Spurs-Grizzlies series to finish to find out their next opponent.
