Rockets hold off Warriors in wild Game 5, take 3-2 series lead

Jordan Greer

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Rockets hold off Warriors in wild Game 5, take 3-2 series lead image

It was tough. It was ugly. It was gritty. And by the end of Thursday night, it was a win for the Rockets.

Houston took a 3-2 series lead with a 98-94 win in a hard-fought Game 5 against the Warriors. Eric Gordon scored a team-high 24 points off the bench, and Chris Paul filled the box score with 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. The efforts of Gordon and Paul helped make up for a rough shooting from James Harden, who finished 5-of-21 from the field and 0-of-11 from 3-point range.

The Warriors got 20-plus points out of Kevin Durant (29), Klay Thompson (23) and Stephen Curry (22), but wasted possessions cost them once again. Golden State turned the ball over 16 times and finished with just 18 assists — Steve Kerr can't be happy with those numbers.

This series is far from over, though. Paul appeared to suffer a right hamstring injury late in the fourth quarter, and he wasn't moving well when he left the floor. If he can't play in Game 6, that would be a huge blow to the Rockets' chances. 

Check out all of the best highlights from Game 5 of Warriors vs. Rockets...

Game 5 box score

Final: Rockets 98, Warriors 94

11:32 p.m. ET — Another turnover for the Warriors. WOW. Stephen Curry throws a low pass to Draymond Green, who loses the ball on the left wing. Eric Gordon picks up the steal, gets fouled and sinks both free throws to ice this one.

What a game. The Rockets are one win away from the NBA Finals.

11:28 p.m. ET — Stephen Curry's floater is... NO GOOD. Trevor Ariza grabs the rebound, and he is fouled to stop the clock. He makes one of two at the line, and the Warriors call timeout after taking possession of the ball.

Rockets 96, Warriors 94 with 6.7 seconds to go.

11:25 p.m. ET — Chris Paul goes down after a contested jumper, and he is grabbing his right hamstring. That's not good. Golden State ball.

Rockets 95, Warriors 94 with 22 seconds left.

11:21 p.m. ET — MONSTER 3-POINTER BY ERIC GORDON. He drains the open attempt from the wing off the James Harden kickout. 

Rockets 95, Warriors 91 with 1:21 on the clock. Buckle up.

11:14 p.m. ET — Oh... that's not how Steve Kerr drew it up.

11:09 p.m. ET — Important note for the final stretch: The Rockets will be in the bonus, so look for James Harden to keep driving to the rim and creating contact. 

Rockets 86, Warriors 82 with six minutes to go.

10:58 p.m. ET — Chris Paul is here for the moment. A double-pump 3-pointer?!

End of third quarter: Warriors 72, Rockets 71

10:51 p.m. ET — These guys are leaving it all on the floor. It's not pretty, but it's extremely competitive. James Harden is having a nightmare Game 5 with 13 points on 4-of-15 shooting (0-of-9 on 3-pointers). He is going to have to make some  shots if the Rockets hope to advance. Kevin Durant has a game-high 27 points, and he could ultimately be the difference. He is capable of getting a decent look at any time.

10:43 p.m. ET — What a fancy finish by Stephen Curry. Smart to take what the defense is giving him and drive into the paint.

10:31 p.m. ET — OH MY. CHRIS PAUL JUST DID A STEPH SHIMMY RIGHT IN FRONT OF STEPHEN CURRY.

10:23 p.m. ET — Klay Thompson gives the Warriors the lead to start the second half. This is the kind of aggression he was lacking in the first two quarters.

Halftime: Rockets 45, Warriors 45

10:06 p.m. ET — That was an intense, ugly half of basketball. The Rockets (35.6 percent shooting) and Warriors (eight turnovers, nine assists) both struggled to score and often forced shots on poor possessions. Houston simply couldn't capitalize on open opportunities, going just 6-of-24 from beyond the arc. James Harden and Chris Paul combined to go 0-of-10 on 3-pointers.

The Warriors haven't fared much better offensively, but Kevin Durant is keeping them alive. He's got 18 points in 18 minutes, and he's been the one consistent threat for Golden State.

9:51 p.m. ET — Draymond Green has been on the wrong end of a lot of highlights in this series.

9:44 p.m. ET — This Stephen Curry shot... just shake your head and move on. Nothing Chris Paul can do.

9:37 p.m. ET — You can't reach on James Harden. This is what happens.

End of first quarter: Rockets 23, Warriors 17

9:29 p.m. ET — Going back to the fourth quarter of Game 4, the Warriors have scored 29 points in the last 24 minutes of play. That's... not ideal. And yet, Golden State is only down by six with both teams shooting under 40 percent from the field. Could be close for all four quarters here.

9:14 p.m. ET — Despite plenty of open looks, the Rockets are only ahead by two points at the first timeout break. Houston is 0-of-6 from 3-point range, but Clint Capela is feasting inside with eight points. 

9:08 p.m. ET — The Rockets are playing with serious energy right now. A quick 6-0 run to kick off this one. James Harden is attacking the basket on all switches.

8:58 p.m. ET — A beautiful moment before Game 5. The Rockets recognize the lives lost in the Santa Fe High School shooting as well as the strength of the first responders, police officers and Santa Fe seniors.

8:52 p.m. ET — It's been another high-scoring series for Kevin Durant, but his efficiency dropped in Game 4 (9-of-24 from the field). If he finds his groove in Houston, the Warriors could be tough to take down. He's the ultimate matchup problem.

8:39 p.m. ET —  Chris Paul finished with 27 points and four assists in Game 4. The Rockets will need another star effort from CP3 if they want to push the Warriors to the brink of elimination.

Jordan Greer

Jordan Greer Photo

Jordan Greer has been with The Sporting News since 2015. He previously worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is a graduate of Westminster College and Syracuse University.