NBA Playoffs Results : Oklahoma City Thunder beat Houston Rockets, 7 match series tied 2-2
Dennis Schroder scored a career playoff-high 30 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied to beat the Houston Rockets 117-114 and even the first-round Western Conference playoff series at two wins apiece.
Oklahoma City trailed by 15 points in the third quarter and was down a point heading into the fourth. But the Thunder led the league during the regular season with 17 wins after trailing heading into the final quarter. And they trailed going into the fourth on Saturday before winning in overtime.
“I always believe we can turn it around,” Schroder said. “Just bring a little bit of energy, get stops as a team, take the good shots and we’ll be in good shape. We’ve been doing it all season.”
Thunder vs Rockets Match 4 : Schroder leads Thunder to victory over Rockets in NBA Playoffs
Other than Schroder 30 points, Chris Paul scored 26 points and Shai Alexander added 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, who won despite allowing 23 3-pointers.
James Harden had 32 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds for Houston. Eric Gordon scored 23 points and Danuel House Jr added 21 for the Rockets.
The Thunder shot 49% from the field.
“This game, we needed better individual defense,” Gordon said. “They really had it going, and they just tried to spread us out and go one-on-one. We scored enough but they just continued to keep scoring and that was really the name of the game.”
Former Thunder star Russell Westbrook sat out for Houston again with a strained right quad. The All-Star point guard has not played in the series.
The score was tied at 60 at the half. The Thunder shot 47.8% and the Rockets 47.7% before the break.
Houston made its first eight 3-pointers to start the third quarter. The Rockets led 93-80 before Schroder made a 3-pointer and Houston’s Austin Rivers was called for a foul away from the shot.
Oklahoma City’s Nerlens Noel made the free throw, and that sequence sparked a 12-0 run for the Thunder. Schroder hot a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer, and the Oklahoma City climbed within 93-92 at the end of the third.
“I think our team all season has dealt with adversity really, really good,” Paul said. “We just tried to keep playing, keep fighting and stayed in the game.”
In the end Thunder prevailed with scoreline of 117-114 with 7 game tie currently at 2-2. Game 5 will be played on Wednesday.
Bucks vs Magic Game 4 : Middleton comes alive in 4th quarter; Bucks take 3-1 lead
Giannis Antetokounmpo offered some advice to teammate Khris Middleton before the fourth quarter of Monday’s playoff game against the Orlando Magic “Shoot until your arms fall off.”
Middleton took the advice to heart.
Antetokounmpo had 31 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists and Middleton finally came alive with a huge fourth quarter as the Bucks beat the Magic 121-106 to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round series.
Middleton scored 18 of his 21 points in the final quarter and finished with 10 rebounds after being held to one field goal in the first three quarters on 1-of-9 shooting.
“At times I am too unselfish, so I have to force the issue,” Middleton said.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said it was “just a matter of time” before Middleton had a breakout game.
If the Bucks hope to win their first NBA title since 1971 they’re going to need Middleton to be a consistent scorer and take some of the pressure off Antetokounmpo.
Milwaukee has now won three straight after losing the series opener to the eighth-seeded Magic.
Middleton said the Bucks have improved since the first game.
“Sometimes things aren’t going to go our way and you won’t make shots or whatever, but as long as you keep grinding good things are going to happen,” Middleton said.
Fifth game between Bucks & Magic is scheduled for Wednesday
No comments