Houston evens series 2-2 with 112-108 victory
3-pointers from Rockets game 4 win versus Warriors
May 7, 2019, 12:33 am
Kevin C. Cox
The Houston Rockets once again faced off against the Golden State Warriors, looking to tie up the best of seven series at two games a piece. Houston dominated throughout the majority of the game but a predictable Warriors run late in the fourth trimmed the lead from 17 to a single possession. Houston would hold on, however, defeating Golden State 112-108. The series is now tied at two games a piece.
Air Raid
With two of the best shooting teams in the league squaring off, someone was bound to blink. Monday night it was the Warriors. The Splash Brothers' Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry failed to live up to their nickname as they shot a collective 5-20 from beyond the arc. Golden State as a team went 8-33 (24.2%) from 3, while Houston buried 17-50 (34%). It's unlikely Houston sees another shooting performance this bad, but it was critical that they capitalized on it to even the series.
PJ part II
Once again PJ Tucker did his best Draymond Green impression, except better. The defensive juggernaut once again drew the nearly impossible task of guarding Kevin Durant and once again he got under Durant's chin, in addition to flying all over the court as we've come to expect. Tucker finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and once again played a pivotal role in this playoff series. His numbers may not jump out every night, but Tucker is keeping Houston competitive nearly as much defensively as James Harden is offensively.
Harden erupts
James Harden knows that he will be praised or blamed for the outcome of this series. Determined to elicit the former, Harden manufactured one of the most impressive playoff performances of his career, and it could not have happened at a more crucial moment. Harden kept pace with Durant's unblockable jump shot with his dizzying handles, creating space for the open shot or catching the opponent off balance for a drive and easy layup. Harden's lethal stepback game was dialed in as well, shooting 6-17 from downtown.
Rockets player of the game
James Harden: 38 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks
Warriors player of the game
Kevin Durant: 34 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Next up
The Rockets travel back to the west coast for game 5 of the western conference semifinals on Wednesday at 9:30 pm, central.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.