NBA playoffs schedule and results: Cavs take series, Rockets stun Clippers in Game 6

As preposterous as the statistics are for the Rockets in their 19-point comeback on Thursday, the numbers for the Clippers are equally bad. They were outscored 40-15 in the fourth quarter while shooting 4-of-22 from the field and being out-rebounded by 16.

Houston deserves massive praise for their 119-107 win in Game 6, considering most teams would have quit much earlier. After all, it looked like the Clippers had the game locked away, a repeat of the Game 3 and 4 blowouts at the Staples Center. But down 13 headed into the fourth quarter, the Rockets finally started playing like a team that wasn’t ready for the summer yet.

What do you do when you whoop the Chicago Bulls 4-2 in the playoffs? Smash out some Instagram memes of course.

JR Smith was pumped up after earning a place in the Eastern Conference Finals and he should be. I mean let’s be real, he could’ve easily been bumming around with the Knicks in the offseason.

Getting 29 points in the fourth quarter from James Harden alone seemed more probably than Smith and Brewer combining for that total. Harden has done everything for Houston this season; that’s what his MVP campaign hinged on. Every big shot, key run or important spark the Rockets needed came from Harden. Never once could the Rockets imagine a scenario where he voluntarily sat out of a fourth quarter as his team roared back for a 25-point swing in the quarter.

Yet there he was in one of McHale’s gutsiest moves of the season. Harden eventually returned in the final minute for his free throw shooting, but didn’t add to his point total. He didn’t need to. For Harden, who had spent the entire season carrying the injury-riddled Rockets on his back, what a feeling it must have been to have the roles reversed.

That’s how quickly it can happen. Clippers fans everywhere will not be able to bear looking at this chart. Or thinking about Game 6 ever again, for that matter.

See the rest of the stats and numbers that go with this chart over at Inpredictable.

Paul still finished with 28 points on 8-of-17 shooting plus 11 assists, looking as healthy as he has since injuring his groin in Game 7 of the last series against San Antonio. Griffin had 28 points on 12-of-20 shooting, including this incredible shot.

It felt like the game was over when that shot went in. Instead, the Rockets’ bench mob made this incredulous recovery and now leave the Clippers with a lot to think about until Sunday’s Game 7. They say no lead is safe, but this one sure seemed to be. What the Rockets did seemed impossible -- but it was very, very real.

What do you do after a series clinching win on the road? Dance, of course.

Mozgov, you’re next.

Everyone on the Rockets now has the letter “H” thanks to Blake Griffin’s ridiculous HORSE shot. Sorry guys.

For good measure, Griffin followed that shot up by sprinting the length of the floor to block Corey Brewer.

#DadBod or not? I mean, obviously, yes. But potentially distracting #DadBod. And troubling. And disturbing. The good news is, he’s been doing it all night. I foresee that this trend will continue.

How do you feel about this, Chris Webber?

What a difference a year makes.

Do you, Clippers.

Irving left the game halfway through the second quarter after stepping on a teammate’s foot backpedaling on defense. The Cleveland point guard is battling with a right foot strain and left knee tendinitis so it appeared the injury, which did not look severe, just aggravated his lower half. He could have returned after halftime but with the game in-hand, he never had to.

Here are three things we learned.

This wink came with the Cavs holding a sizable lead over the Bulls in the third quarter of Game 6 in Chicago. Mark Jackson claims the wink was directed at Scottie Pippen. Who are we to doubt him? Nobody, that’s who.

★★★

HE WAS SO PROUD. Anyway, Mirotic picked up a Flagrant 1, which may have been generous.

There’s no stopping Paul and Griffin, but the Rockets need to at least slow them down if they hope to extend their season.

Place: Staples Center

There are plenty of reasons for the Bulls to be optimistic. Derrick Rose should play better than he did on Tuesday, when he needed 24 shots to score 16 points. Their bench struggled mightily in Game 5 and should do better as well. The difference between the two teams just hasn’t been that big, so there’s no reason to think Chicago will fail to force a final showdown. Yet if the trends of the series continue and James delivers another inspired performance, we could have the first conference finalist decided by the end of the night.

Place: United Center