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| Kevin Durant had his 2nd straight great game without Westbrook. The Thunder did not get the series sweep though. (Image from: REUTERS) |
#WinOrGoHome #KDisNotNice
The Rockets escaped with a win in Game 4 even without Jeremy Lin (injured) while James Harden struggled again (15 points, 10 turnovers). Chandler Parsons had a huge game and almost got a triple-double while Omer Asik played great defense to go with his 17 and 14. Kevin Durant had a monster game and was super efficient but he failed to win the game for the Thunder. Houston was very fortunate to win since Reggie Jackson appeared to be fouled by Asik but no foul was called. The missed shot went to Serge Ibaka but he missed an easy putback as time expired. The Rockets had 2 possessions to put the game away but their play selection (or lack of it) produced 2 isolation plays for Harden where he dribbled the ball for 20 seconds before settling for long contested jumpers that were not even close. Kudos to their last defensive stand as they managed to force Durant to pass to another teammate for the last shot.
#StayingAlive #Bigs
The Nets dominated the 4th quarter, 33-18 and they will go back to Chicago for Game 6. Brook Lopez and Andray Blatche led the way as their bigs pounded Chicago's frontline. Blatche scored 10 points in the 4th to help the Nets pull away from a close game. Deron Williams (23 and 10) did not allow Nate Robinson (20 and 8) to have a better game than him in the clutch, like in Game 5. The Bulls battled for 3 quarters and was within 1 point in the 4th before they ran out of gas. Richard Hamilton did not play for the 4th straight game while Kirk Hinrich who was spectacular in Game 5, missed the game due to injury. The Nets out-rebounded the Bulls by 11 and were +12 on points in the paint. Both categories are things that the Bulls usually win.
#SeriesTied @JSmooveNBA
Josh Smith had a playoff career-high 29 points to go with his 11 rebounds. His performance catapulted the Hawks to win Game 4 and tie the series at 2-2. The Hawks led by as much as 17 points but the Pacers clawed back in the 3rd quarter and were within 4 points. Al Horford, Devin Harris and Kyle Korver played well in the 4th period to preserve the win. Johan Petro started the game for the Hawks even after coming from Miami to attend to the birth of his child. Petro played 22 minutes and did solid work with 4 points and 8 rebounds. The Pacers seemed in control of the series after 2 games in Indiana (both routs) but they have regressed in their last 2 in Atlanta. Luckily for the Pacers, they will be back in Indy for Game 5. Winners of Game 5 when a series is tied, go on to win the series 80% of the time.
#Stats #News
- Durant is averaging 39.5 points, 11 boards and 5 assists without Russell
- Kevin Martin had 16 points to Harden's 15
- Patrick Beverley had 16 points and 4 assists as a starter
- Joakim Noah played 28 minutes and was -23
- Kyle Korver was 5-8 from threes and finished with 19 points
- Sacramento will probably keep the Kings
- Jason Collins admits that he is gay
Chandler Parsons (Rockets) - 27 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists, WIN
#Highlights of the Night
KD is not nice!
Carlos Delfino can still dunk!
#Tweets of the Night
BS: ibaka is swearing in 5 languages right now. That was a fun game, I enjoyed it. Chandler Parsons was tremendous. Durant great as always.
That Ibaka miss is more amazing every time they replay it.
#Game Recaps
Final Score: Brooklyn 110, Chicago 91
Brooklyn, NY (Sports Network) - With their backs against the wall, the Brooklyn Nets couldn't afford another fourth-quarter collapse. For the second straight game they led after three quarters, and this time made sure they finished the job. Deron Williams and Brook Lopez bounced back from poor late finishes in Game 4 to post double-doubles, and the Nets staved off elimination by pounding the Chicago Bulls, 110-91, at Barclays Center in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. With Brooklyn blowing a 14-point lead late, Williams and Lopez combined for just seven points through three overtimes of a heart-breaking 142-134 loss in Chicago on Saturday, but the pair carried the Nets on Monday to keep their season alive. Williams totaled 23 points and 10 assists, Lopez racked up 28 points with 10 rebounds and Andray Blatche contributed 10 of his 13 points in a fourth quarter where the Nets outscored the Bulls by a 33-18 count. The Nets still have the odds stacked against them, with only eight teams ever rallying from a 3-1 deficit to win a series, which will shift back to Chicago on Thursday for Game 6. Nate Robinson, whose heroics single-handedly got Chicago to overtime in Game 4, made his first career playoff start with Kirk Hinrich resting a sore left calf and finished with a team-high 20 points and eight assists. The Bulls lacked the interior presence that has been so vital in the their three wins in the series. The Nets were a plus-11 in the rebounding category and outscored Chicago in second-chance points, 24-12. Jimmy Butler added 18 points and Carlos Boozer totaled a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double in the setback.
Final Score: Atlanta 102, Indiana 91
Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - With Atlanta's Al Horford on the bench saddled with foul trouble in the third quarter, the Indiana Pacers charged back. Once Horford returned, he and Josh Smith helped the Hawks stave them off. Smith tallied a playoff career-high 29 points to go with 11 rebounds, while Horford netted 18 points in the Hawks' 102-91 win over the Pacers in Game 4 of this Eastern Conference first-round series. Atlanta led by 17 at the break, but Horford picked up two quick fouls in the beginning stages of the third quarter and exited with four personals. The Pacers relentlessly attacked the rim for the duration of the frame, outscoring Atlanta 18-4 in the paint for the period, to whittle the halftime deficit to seven entering the fourth. But Horford returned to pour in 10 points during the final stanza, while Smith added seven to hand Indiana its 13th straight defeat at Philips Arena and knot the set at 2-2. Once again the Hawks inserted Johan Petro into the starting lineup, although his availability was in question due to the birth of his child. Horford started at power forward and Smith again manned the three-spot. Kyle Korver, the starter at small forward over the first two games of this series, nailed five 3-pointers and finished with 19 points off the bench in the triumph. Paul George registered 21 points, 12 boards and four steals for Indiana, which will host Game 5 on Wednesday.
Final Score: Houston 105, Oklahoma City 103
Houston, TX (Sports Network) - James Harden had an off night, but Chandler Parsons picked up the slack. Parsons tallied 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in the Houston Rockets' 105-103 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of this Western Conference first-round series. Parsons has seen his point total increase with each passing game. After scoring just nine points in Game 1, Parsons responded by going for 17 and 21 points, respectively, in Games 2 and 3. Harden was held to 15 points on 4-of-12 shooting and turned the ball over 10 times for the Rockets, who avoided elimination and trail the best-of-seven set 3-1. Kevin Durant netted 38 points on 12-of-16 shooting for Oklahoma City, which will host Game 5 on Wednesday as it attempts to close out the series.
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