The Astros won a championship for Houston. Now it’s the Rockets’ turn.
The Rockets, who entered the playoffs as the No. 1 team in the NBA with a 65-17 record, beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round. They shut down the Utah Jazz in five games in the Western Conference Semifinals to advance to a conference finals showdown with the Golden State Warriors.
Houston has built a championship-caliber team around MVP candidate James Harden, which includes adding All-Star point guard Chris Paul in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers last summer. Native Houstonian Gerald Green has been a breakout star for the Rockets, and Clint Capela has showcased his skills on both ends of the court.
The Rockets now face a team they defeated in all four meetings during the regular season. Going into Friday night, the Western Conference Semifinals series is tied at 1.
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Game 1 - May 14, 2018: Warriors 119, Rockets 106
Game 2 - May 16, 2018: Rockets 127, Warriors 105
Game 3 - May 20, 2018: Warriors 126, Rockets 185
Game 4 - May 22, 2018: Rockets 95, Warriors 92
Game 5 - May 24, 2018: Rockets 98, Warriors 94
Game 6 - 8 p.m. May 26, 2018 at Golden State
*Game 7 - 8 p.m. May 28, 2018 at Houston
* = if necessary
Season series: Rockets won 2-1
CONFERENCE FINALS, GAME 5
Gordon leads Rockets over Warriors 98-94 to take series lead
By Associated Press
Eric Gordon came off the bench to score 24 points and his steal on Golden State's last possession secured a 98-94 victory Thursday night that gave the Houston Rockets a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals.
The Rockets head into Game 6 on Saturday night in Oakland, California one win away from knocking off the defending champions and advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since winning back-to-back titles in 1994-95.
Photos: Rockets beat Warriors 98-94 in Game 5; take 3-2 series lead
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CONFERENCE FINALS, GAME 4
Harden scores 30, Rockets even series at 2 games apiece
By Associated Press
James Harden scored 30 points, Chris Paul had 27 and the Houston Rockets sustained the latest second-half flurry by Stephen Curry, evening the Western Conference finals at two games apiece with a 95-92 victory Tuesday night.
Curry scored 28 points and Kevin Durant added 27 points and 12 rebounds but the defending champions missed their final six shots from the floor and their NBA-record postseason winning streak at home ended at 16 games.
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Photos: Rockets even series, beat Warriors 95-92 in Game 4
CONFERENCE FINALS, GAME 3
Curry comes alive to score 35, Warriors rout Rockets by 41
By Associated Press
Stephen Curry got his groove back to score 35 points with five 3-pointers, shooting over James Harden and driving past the Houston star as the Golden State Warriors made a second-half statement to beat the Rockets 126-85 on Sunday night for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.
Kevin Durant added 25 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Draymond Green grabbed 17 rebounds to go with 10 points and six assists. The Warriors won an NBA-record 16th consecutive home postseason game, surpassing the Chicago Bulls' mark of 15 in a row from April 27, 1990-May 21, 1991.
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Photos: Rockets take on Warriors in Game 3 of Western Conference Finals
CONFERENCE FINALS, GAME 2
Rockets rout Warriors 127-105 to tie series at 1-all
By Associaed Press
HOUSTON (AP) - James Harden and Eric Gordon each scored 27 points to lead a balanced attack and the Houston Rockets routed the Golden State Warriors 127-105 on Wednesday night to even the Western Conference finals at one game apiece.
The Rockets didn't trail after the first quarter and led by double digits for most of the night. They head to Oakland, California for Game 3 on Sunday night feeling much better after rebounding from a deflating 119-106 loss in the series opener.
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Photos: Rockets beat Warriors 127-105, even Western Conference Finals series at 1
CONFERENCE FINALS, GAME 1
Durant's 37 lead Warriors over Rockets 119-106
By Associated Press
Kevin Durant scored 37 points and Klay Thompson added 28 to lead Golden State to a 119-106 win in the long-awaited showdown with the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Monday night.
Starting a playoff series on the road for the first time since 2014, the Warriors trailed by as many as 9 early, but had evened it up by halftime and used a big run at the beginning of the fourth quarter to pull away.
Eric Gordon opened the final period with a 3-pointer to get the top-seeded Rockets within 4, but Thompson scored the first eight points of a 13-4 run to make it 100-87 with about eight minutes left.
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Photos: Rockets host Warriors in Game 1 of Western Conference Finals
Photos| Fans crowd Toyota Center to cheer on Rockets in Game 1 of Western Conference Finals
WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
Game 1 – April 29, 2018: Rockets 110, Jazz 96
Game 2 – May 2, 2018: Jazz 116, Rockets 108
Game 3 – May 4, 2018: Rockets 113, Jazz 92
Game 4 – May 6, 2018: Rockets 100, Jazz 87
Game 5 – May 8, 2018: Rockets 112, Jazz 102
Season series: Rockets won 4-0
Photos: Houston Rockets Power Dancers & Launch Crew
ROUND 2, GAME 5
Paul scores 41 as Rockets eliminate Jazz 112-102
By Associated Press
Chris Paul scored a playoff career-high 41 points with eight 3-pointers and the Houston Rockets beat the Utah Jazz 112-102 in Game 5 on Tuesday night to advance to the Western Conference finals.
It will be Houston's second trip to the conference finals in four years and the first ever for Paul. The point guard has been panned for failing to get past the second round in his nine previous trips to the postseason.
Houston will meet the Golden State Warriors who eliminated the New Orleans Pelicans later Tuesday night.
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Photos: Rockets advance to Western Conference Finals with 112-102 win vs. Jazz
Photos: Rockets fans flock to Toyota Center for Game 5 vs. Jazz
ROUND 2, GAME 4
Paul Scores 27 and Harden Has 24 as Houston wins 100-87
By Associated Press
Chris Paul had 27 points and 12 rebounds while James Harden scored 24 points to power the Houston Rockets to a 100-87 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday night, taking a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.
Paul, playing the sidekick to Harden for most of his first season in Houston, took center stage, controlling the tempo and getting to his favorite spots as the Rockets led from start to finish.
Donovan Mitchell scored 25 before fouling out and Joe Ingles had 15 for the Jazz.
Mitchell started finding lanes to the basket late and got the Jazz within 85-80 after he fueled a 10-2 run. But Paul, who matched his scoring high for this playoff run, hit a pull-up jumper and found Trevor Ariza for a 3-pointer to put the Rockets back up by double digits and they never looked back.
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ROUND 2, GAME 3
Rockets blast Jazz 113-92 to take series lead
By Associated Press
James Harden had 25 points and 12 assists to lead Houston to a 113-92 win over Utah in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinals series on Friday night.
Eric Gordon added 25 points and Chris Paul had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Rockets. Houston beat Utah in Salt Lake City for the third time this season to take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 is on Sunday.
Royce O' Neale scored 17 points. Alec Burks chipped in 14 points while Rudy Gobert added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Jazz.
Utah never got on track on offense. The Jazz shot poorly over the first three quarters and committed 16 turnovers. Houston scored 19 points off those turnovers.
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Photos: Rockets coast to victory in Game 3 against Jazz
ROUND 2, GAME 2
Ingles career night leads Jazz over Rockets 116-108
By Associated Press
Joe Ingles scored a career-high 27 points and the Utah Jazz squandered a huge early lead before using a big fourth quarter to regain control and beat the Houston Rockets 116-108 on Wednesday night and tie the Western Conference semifinals at 1-1.
Ingles made a career-best seven 3-pointers and star rookie Donovan Mitchell added 17 points and 11 assists for his first game this postseason where he scored fewer than 20 points and didn't lead the team in scoring.
The Jazz were behind by two with eight minutes left before using a 16-2 run to pull away. Game 3 is Friday night in Utah.
After trailing by 25 points at halftime of the 110-96 loss in the series opener, the Jazz jumped out to an early lead in this one and led by as many as 19 in the first half.
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Photos: Rockets fall to Jazz 116-108 in Game 2; series tied at 1
Photos: Rockets fans gather at Toyota Center for Game 2
ROUND 2, GAME 1
Harden's 41 points lead Rockets over Jazz in Game 1
By Kristie Rieken, Associated Press
James Harden scored 41 points and the Houston Rockets raced out to a huge lead and sailed to a 110-96 win over the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Sunday.
Houston was up by 25 at halftime behind 34 points combined from Harden and Chris Paul. The Jazz, who didn't wrap up their first-round series with Oklahoma City until late Friday night, looked sluggish and struggled to keep pace with the energy of the top-seeded Rockets, who haven't played since eliminating Minnesota on Wednesday.
It was Houston's fourth straight win by 10 or more points this postseason, and the Rockets have won their five games against the Jazz by an average of 16.8 points.
Harden, who also had seven assists and eight rebounds, picked up where he left off in the regular season against the Jazz when he averaged 34.3 points, led by a 56-point performance in a 137-110 win in November that set a career-high he has since bested.
The Jazz got 21 points each from rookie Donovan Mitchell and Jae Crowder while playing without starting point guard Ricky Rubio, who sat with a strained left hamstring. It was a significant blow after he averaged 14 points, 7.3 rebounds and seven assists in the first round.
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Photos: Rockets dominate Jazz in Game 1 of Western Conference Semifinals
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FIRST ROUND
Game 1 – Rockets 104, Timberwolves 101
Game 2 – Rockets 102, Timberwolves 82
Game 3 – Timberwolves 121, Rockets 105
Game 4 – Rockets 119, Timberwolves 100
Game 5 – Rockets 122, Timberwolves 104
Season series: Rockets won 4-0
ROUND 1, GAME 5
Capela scores 26 as Rockets eliminate Wolves with 122-104 win
By Kristie Rieken, Associated Press
Clint Capela had 26 points and 15 rebounds, James Harden added 24 points and the Houston Rockets pulled away in the third quarter to get another lopsided win and eliminate the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 122-104 victory in Game 5 of the first-round series Wednesday night.
The top-seeded Rockets are headed to the second round for the second year in a row after taking care of the eighth-seeded Timberwolves. Minnesota was in the postseason for the first time since 2004.
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.
After scoring 22 points in Houston's 50-point third quarter in a Game 4 blowout Monday night, Harden poured in half of Houston's 30 points in the third quarter on Wednesday night to put the Rockets up for good. His 15 third-quarter points matched Minnesota's output in the frame and he finished with 12 assists.
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Photos: Rockets advance to Western Conference Semifinals with win over Timberwolves
ROUND 1, GAME 4
Harden, Rockets soar past Wolves 119-100 with 50-point 3rd
By Associated Press
James Harden gave Houston quite the jump-start with 22 of the team's 50 points in the third quarter, as the Rockets cruised past the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-100 on Monday night to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Chris Paul scored 15 of his 25 points in the near-record third for the Rockets, who turned a 50-49 halftime edge into a 31-point advantage after the torrid 12-minute span. The only team in the history of the NBA playoffs with more points in one quarter was the Los Angeles Lakers, who scored 51 points in the fourth on March 31, 1962, in a loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Clint Capela added 14 points and 17 rebounds, Eric Gordon finally got going with 18 points off the bench and the Rockets easily recovered from their rough start.
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ROUND 1, GAME 3
Butler, Towns lead T-wolves past Rockets 121-105 in Game 3
By Jim Vertuno, Associated Press
Jimmy Butler hit four 3-pointers among his 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns snapped back from a bad start to the series with 18 points and 16 rebounds, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Houston Rockets 121-105 in Game 3 on Saturday night for their first postseason victory in 14 years.
Jeff Teague scored 23 points and Andrew Wiggins pitched in 20 points with another four 3-pointers, helping the Timberwolves match the fire-away Rockets from behind the arc and cruise down the stretch behind a 50 percent shooting performance.
Derrick Rose added 17 points off the bench for the Wolves, who will try to even the series with a win in Game 4 on Monday night.
James Harden led the way with 29 points, but Chris Paul fouled out with 17 points and the Rockets went just 15 for 41 from 3-point range.
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ROUND 1, GAME 2
Paul, Green help Rockets rout Timberwolves 102-82 in Game 2
By Associated Press
Chris Paul had 27 points and Gerald Green came off the bench to score 21 as the Houston Rockets used a huge second quarter to cruise to a 102-82 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night that gave them a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.
Houston fell behind early, but went on top for good with a 37-point second quarter, powered by four 3-pointers from Green, and the Wolves didn't threaten again.
The top-seeded Rockets won the opener by three behind a 44-point performance from James Harden on a night when most of the team struggled offensively. Things were much different on Wednesday when Harden had just 12 points as one of four Rockets who finished in double figures.
Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns had another disappointing game, scoring all of his five points in the first quarter, after being criticized for finishing with eight in the series opener. The All-Star big man went to the bench with about seven minutes left in the third quarter and didn't return. Jamal Crawford scored 16 points for the eighth-seeded Timberwolves, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
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Photos: Rockets defeat Timberwolves 102-82 in Round 1, Game 2 of NBA Playoffs
ROUND 1, GAME 1
Harden scores 44 points, Rockets beat Wolves 104-101
By Associated Press
James Harden scored 44 points and powered a big fourth-quarter run that allowed the Houston Rockets to outlast the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-101 on Sunday night in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.
Minnesota scored four straight points to get within 3 with about 30 seconds left. Chris Paul added two free throws after that for Houston, but a tip-in by Karl-Anthony Towns got Minnesota back within 3. After a bad pass by Paul gave the Timberwolves a chance to tie it with 1.5 seconds left, Jimmy Butler's shot was short.
The Timberwolves had a one-point lead with about seven minutes left when Houston used a 9-0 run, with the last seven points from Harden, to make it 94-86 with about four minutes to go. Harden, who also had a steal in that span, capped the run with a 3-pointer that prompted Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau to call a timeout.
Jeff Teague ended Minnesota's scoring drought with two free throws after the timeout and added a 3-point play after a basket by Harden. Harden made another shot to give him 11 straight points for Houston before another basket by Teague.
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