James Harden, Rockets Eliminate Timberwolves with Game 5 Win
The Houston Rockets are going to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the second straight year.
Houston ended its first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday with a 122-104 victory in Game 5 at the Toyota Center. MVP candidate James Harden led the way again with 24 points and 12 assists, capping a series that saw his team's lethal offense score in triple digits in every game.
The Rockets will play either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Utah Jazz in the second round as they look to parlay the best record in the NBA into a deep postseason run.
Things didn't start the way Houston planned, especially in the backcourt. The Timberwolves hounded Harden and Chris Paul and challenged their outside looks while establishing a double-digit lead in the first half.
The Houston guards combined for just seven points on 3-of-16 shooting in the opening two quarters, and three-time All-Defensive selection Jimmy Butler made life difficult on Harden whenever the Rockets leader attempted to create space.
Fortunately for the victors, the supporting cast kept them within striking distance before they seized control in the second half.
The price Minnesota paid for diverting additional attention toward the backcourt was clean looks for Trevor Ariza (16 points and four threes), P.J. Tucker (15 points and five threes) and Eric Gordon (19 points and three threes) on the outside. Clint Capela (26 points and 15 rebounds) also consistently flashed to open spots in the paint and was rewarded with a number of dunks and lobs while controlling the defensive boards.
Keeping it close early was all Harden needed.
While the Rockets didn't explode for 50 points in the third quarter like they did in Game 4, Harden put on a show to turn a four-point deficit into a 11-point lead heading into the fourth with a mix of step-back threes, timely drives and well-placed assists.
He took over the game with 15 points in the quarter and largely buried the Timberwolves, all while Butler was left watching from the bench for stretches with his knee wrapped.
Minnesota had nobody on the floor who could stay in front of Harden with the former Chicago Bull sidelined, and his ability to attract multiple defenders opened up looks for his teammates as Houston pulled away.
Butler dealing with the apparent physical setback and scoring just eight points was also a critical blow for Minnesota on the other end, as it was left without its All-Star wingman who can create off the bounce and shoot from deep.
It put even more pressure on Karl-Anthony Towns, especially since he scored in single digits in each of the first two games of the series. The Rockets swarmed his touches throughout the five-game battle, preventing him from taking over and putting Minnesota in a position where it had to rely on others.
However, the Kentucky product asserted himself Wednesday and had a double-double by halftime. He took advantage on the blocks when facing single coverage and worked an inside-outside attack with Jeff Teague when shots didn't immediately present themselves.
Towns finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds, Teague played the role of scorer and facilitator with 17 points and seven assists, and Jamal Crawford provided a spark off the bench with 20 points. Still, they were the only Timberwolves with more than 14, which was far from enough to counter Houston's offensive attack.
Attention now turns to the second round for the Rockets, and their opponent is still unknown after Oklahoma City erased a 25-point deficit against Utah on Wednesday to prolong their series.
Houston was 4-0 against the Jazz and just 1-2 against the Thunder this season, but the Rockets also beat Russell Westbrook and OKC in the first round of last year's playoffs in just five games.
