HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Rockets spent almost no time celebrating their first-round playoff series win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
For the top-seeded Rockets, it simply moved them a little closer toward their goal of bringing the franchise its first title in more than two decades.
"This was a pretty good step for us, a step in the right direction, but we've got a long way to go," James Harden said. "We (don't) have this team just to win one playoff series."
From the moment Chris Paul joined the Rockets in a blockbuster trade from the Los Angeles Clippers last summer, the Rockets have talked incessantly about their desire and belief that the pairing of the two star point guards could propel this already good team into contender status.
A 65-win regular season led by Harden's MVP-caliber play and Paul's work in a top supporting role gave the Rockets the NBA's best record for the first time in franchise history and added to the belief that this could be the year they win it all.
Despite not playing their best at times, the Rockets easily handled the eighth-seeded Wolves, turning in three blowout wins in the 4-1 series triumph, capped by Wednesday's night 122-104 victory.