The Rockets are moving on in the NBA Playoffs.
Using a big second half, Houston propelled to a 122-104 win in Game 5, eliminating first round opponent, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
James Harden added to his storybook 2018 season, finishing with 24 points and 12 assists.
Clint Capela also came up big, keeping Houston afloat in the first half. He led all scorers with 26 points to go with 15 rebounds.
The Wolves led Houston 59-55 at the half before Houston outscored Minnesota 30-15 in the third frame, the final nail in Minnesota’s coffin. The quarter fit Tom Thibodeau’s narrative that it was just one quarter that repeatedly did Minnesota in, whether it be the second quarter in Game 3 or third quarters in Games 4 and 5. Other than those, Minnesota went stride for stride with the NBA’s top team.
“I know we lost 4-1, but if we have a good third quarter in Game 4, it’s 2-2,” Jamal Crawford said. “Then tonight, we had a great spirit about us. We had a great thing going, and it got away from us again in the third.”
The Wolves showed flashes of the toughness and discipline needed to defend at a high level. They contained the Rockets for quarters at a time. But doing so for 48 minutes? It never happened.
Getting close to such a point was Thibodeau’s goal all season for this squad, but it just never got there. Another perspective on the series: Three of Houston’s four victories came by 18-plus points.
“They did their job, they did what they were supposed to do,” Jimmy Butler said of the Rockets. “But that doesn’t take away from what we accomplished this year.”
The Wolves won 16 more games than they did a year ago. They made the playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons. The veterans Thibodeau acquired last offseason proved worth their weight in gold at various times throughout the season. Jimmy Butler changed the Wolves’ locker room for the better, Taj Gibson added the toughness Minnesota previously lacked and Jeff Teague again proved he’s a playoff point guard. And the Wolves may have found something in midseason acquisition Derrick Rose, who will be a free-agent this summer.
Houston will await the winner of the Utah-Oklahoma City series, which the Jazz lead 3-2 after the Thunder rallied from a big deficit Wednesday night to avoid elimination.
