The Houston Rockets are going to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1997. The Rockets took care of business on their home floor on Sunday afternoon, knocking off the Los Angeles Clippers, 113-100, in Game 7 to set up a meeting with the top-seeded Golden State Warriors.
Clippers vs. Rockets 2015 results: 3 things we learned in Houston’s wire-to-wire Game 7 victory
The Houston Rockets rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to win Game 7 and advance to face the Warriors.
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
The Rockets dominated the game from early on and never trailed. It was a full team effort for Houston, with four starters scoring in double figures and the bench giving Kevin McHale’s team quality minutes against a thin and fatigued Clippers squad.
James Harden turned in a vintage performance after being benched during Houston's huge fourth-quarter comeback in Game 6. Harden went 7-of-20 from the floor to finish with 31 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Houston's other star, Dwight Howard, was also excellent. Howard made six of his eight attempts from the field and chipped in 16 points and 15 rebounds in the victory.
Trevor Ariza was also great, hitting six three-pointers and playing solid defense to finish with 22 points on the afternoon.
This is what the Rockets look like when they’re at their best:
Much of this game felt like a continuation of the fourth quarter from Game 6, where Los Angeles blew a 13-point lead heading into the final period without Harden on the floor. Chris Paul finished with 26 points and 10 assists, but it will be little consolation as he has still never been to the conference finals. Blake Griffin had 27 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, but looked gassed from carrying the Clippers throughout much of the playoffs.
Here are three things we learned in a one-sided Game 7:
1. Houston’s midseason pick-ups have been huge
Josh Smith put the finishing touches on a great series with another big effort in Game 7. Smith finished with 15 points by hitting 6-of-10 shots from the floor, including two of his four attempts from three-point range. His success isn't the only reason GM Daryl Morey should be feeling vindicated.
Pablo Prigioni played a steady two-way game, finishing with four points, four assists and three steals. Corey Brewer was solid off the bench, too, adding nine points and three assists.
All three were midseason pick-ups for Morey this year. It’s safe to say Houston wouldn’t be on to the conference finals without them.
2. A healthy Dwight Howard should scare Golden State
Howard played only 41 games during the regular season and his prime feels like it was a decade ago. It’s easy to forget that he’s still one of the best centers in the NBA, but that’s exactly how he played in this series.
Howard capped a solid all-around series with a brutally efficient effort in Game 7. For the series, he averaged over 17 points and 13 rebounds per game on more than 60 percent shooting. His mix of size, athleticism and physicality could be an issue for Golden State in the next round if he continues to look as spry as he did against the Clippers.
3. The Clippers won’t get over this series anytime soon
This has to be a horrible feeling for the Clippers. After surviving an all-time great series against the defending champion Spurs and taking Game 1 at Houston without Chris Paul, it seemed like their path to the conference finals was set. The Clippers held a 3-1 series lead but just couldn't close it out. The end of Game 6 will haunt this franchise until they finally reach the conference finals.
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