The Rockets Came Out On Top In The First Close Game Of The Conference Finals

After five minutes of Game 4, the Houston Rockets appeared to be in significant trouble against the Golden State Warriors. On the road with their season virtually hanging in the balance, James Harden and company fell into a 12-0 hole at the outset but, after a furious second quarter comeback and an incredibly resilient effort in the fourth quarter, the Rockets escaped with a 94-92 victory that evened the series at two games each.

The Warriors, operating without Andre Iguodala and, therefore, a shortened rotation, began the night in lights-out fashion and claimed full control of the proceedings as a result. However, it was the duo of Harden and Chris Paul that reclaimed the advantage with a fantastic second quarter performance, including a memorable dunk and 29 combined points over a 12-minute period.

All told, the Rockets outscored the Warriors by a 34-18 margin in the second period, erasing what briefly appeared to be a daunting deficit and leveling the playing field considerably. Still, there was more peril for the eventual winners, as Stephen Curry and the Warriors came out of the gate in the third quarter with a trademark run that threatened Houston.

Curry scored 17 points in the period, including five three-pointers, and the Warriors zoomed to a 34-17 margin to secure a 10-point advantage with only 12 minutes remaining.

The No. 1 seed would not fade, though, as Paul aided in a massive run during the fourth quarter, outscoring the Warriors by a 15-2 margin to reclaim the lead in surprising fashion.

Houston was certainly aided by Golden State’s struggles in the closing period, with the Warriors missing threes repeatedly and compiling only 12 points in total. Then, in crunch time, Draymond Green converted only 1 of 2 free throws, bringing the home team within two points with the game on the line. In general, the Warrior offense slowed to a halt in the game’s final frame.

However, after a stop on the other end, the Warriors did have one more chance to either tie the game or take the lead, but their final effort came up begging.

In keeping with NBA history, this was a game filled with runs from start to finish, though it has to be noted that Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals was the first (and only, to this point) competitive game for quite some time on either side of the playoff bracket. Sloppy offense and two teams seemingly running out of gas slightly marred the proceedings in the fourth quarter but, in the same breath, the Rockets made the requisite plays to pick up a much-needed victory and, in doing so, reestablished home-court advantage in what now amounts to a three-game series.

Harden (30 points), Paul (27 points) and the Rockets did just enough in Oakland in Game 4 and, with a tremendous fourth quarter comeback, the top-seeded squad now feels quite alive as the series shifts back to Houston.