The Houston Rockets earned a big-time 112-108 Game 4 win over the Golden State Warriors to knot their second-round series at 2-2.
It was a much needed, gut check win. They could not go back to The Bay Area down 3-1 and when he was needed, James Harden stepped up and delivered an MVP like performance for the Rockets.
Postgame on Monday, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni had a new nickname for his closing lineup.
As the Warriors have the famed “Hamptons Five” lineup of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green, the Houston coach had his own iteration for his lineup late in Game 4.
Houston closed with, Harden, Chris Paul Austin Rivers, Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker. And what does that make them? D’Antoni decided to roll with the “South Beach Five.”
Now that the Rockets have their own small ball lineup nickname, they will have to hope it can bring them the same passion and effort — and then double it to get a win at Oracle Arena in Game 5.
It’s now a best of three series.
Game 5 is Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
