The Houston Rockets are one win away from the 2018 NBA Finals. This wouldn’t be particularly notable — the Rockets won 65 games, after all — if so many hadn’t been so concerned that the Golden State Warriors were unstoppable, undeniable, inevitable. It turns out that when you have an opponent clicking like Houston, the Warriors are indeed stoppable, deniable, something less than inevitable.
The Rockets won Game 5 Thursday again on the strength of defense, 98-94. The biggest number: Golden State’s 16 turnovers. Houston had just 10. That differential, plus the Rockets’ advantage on the offensive glass and at the line allowed Houston to win despite shooting 37 percent from the floor. Note that Golden State had another mindtwistingly bad fourth quarter.
Chris Paul went on a wild run in the second half, cooking on whoever the Warriors switched onto him. It culminated with a difficult three on Stephen Curry that resulted in CP3 mockingly dropping a shimmy on Curry as they went back up the court. (After the game, Curry dropped some amazing philosophy, noting that he who shimmies must accept being shimmied on.)
HOWEVER ... CP3 went down with a hamstring injury on a critical possession late and actually missed the very end of the game. He walked off under his own power, but it doesn’t look good. And yeah, the Rockets need Chris Paul. We’ll know more Friday.
And then on Saturday, the Rockets can end the Warriors’ season. Wild.
Thursday’s Score
Rockets 98, Warriors 94
Houston leads 3-2
Recaps: The Dream Shake | Golden State Of Mind
Friday’s Schedule
Celtics at Cavaliers, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Boston leads 3-2
WNBA Schedule: Two games on League Pass (which is $17 for the whole season!) on Friday.
Links Galore
A must-read from Kyle Carr at BrewHoop: the Sterling Brown arrest video is only shocking if you’re not black in Milwaukee.
James Harden can’t stop dunking on Draymond Green’s face.
On the incredible opportunity James Harden and Chris Paul have to erase their playoff reputations. Dan Devine gets at why it would be so, so cruel for CP3 to miss games now.
Paul Flannery on how damn good Al Horford has been and how the Celtics won Game 5.
Huge piece from Howard Beck on the relationship between Steve Kerr and Draymond Green and how it nearly destroyed the Warriors.
LeBron James’ season — and Finals streak — could end on Friday. I wrote about what the end of LeBron’s supreme reign will look like.
Damian Lillard made first team All-NBA. What an achievement! Here’s the rest of the roster, with few surprises. (Kevin Durant over Giannis Antetokounmpo on first team is a minor surprise given games played.) Also ... Dwight Howard got an All-NBA vote?!
Mammoth trend piece from Kevins Arnovitz and Pelton on how the NBA went from the ugly early 21st century style to the beautiful modern game. Really cool piece.
Holy smokes, reigning WNBA MVP Sylvia Fowles had a 20-20 game with five steals. Woowee.
Kristaps Porzingis and David Fizdale chatted!
The Pistons hired Ed Stefanski to oversee the GM and coaching hire as a consultant, though all indications are that Stefanski will end up overseeing the whole joint. As far as coaches go, Dwane Casey is reported to be at the top of Detroit’s list.
This is blowing me away. Tyronn Lue was asked after Game 5 why Kyle Korver didn’t enter the game at his usual spots and played just 19 minutes. Lue said the rotations got screwy because ... the Celtics didn’t play Semi Ojeleye. WHAT?!
Tom Izzo has surfaced in rumors in Orlando. Will he finally leave Michigan State after flirting with the NBA for years? I would argue that the Magic need to really focus on doing due diligence on Izzo’s role in keeping Travis Walton around the program after he drew assault charges in 2010.
Chiney Ogwumike is a full-time ESPN basketball analyst and a WNBA player for the Connecticut Sun. Check out her absolutely insane schedule.
Speaking of Sparty, Rick O’Donnell makes the case that Jaren Jackson Jr. will be the best big man from the 2018 NBA Draft.
Steve Kerr comments on the NFL’s new anthem rules.
Be excellent to each other.