The Houston Rockets took care of business on Wednesday night, beating the Utah Jazz at home to win the series 4-1 and move onto the semifinals of the Western Conference.
This is the third straight season the Rockets have advanced out of the first round and onto the second round.
It was the furthest thing from a pretty win, but it gives the Rockets much needed breathing room before the next round. They will now await the winner of Warriors-Clippers. Golden State is leading the series 3-1 and should they win Wednesday night, Warriors-Rockets would likely tip off Sunday afternoon.
James Harden struggled early but finished with 26 points, six rebounds, six assists, four blocks, three steals and the game-sealing free throws. Clint Capela chipped in a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds), Eric Gordon had 15 points on four made three-pointers and Chris Paul again stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Houston clamped down on defense to end the game. In their final for possessions, the Jazz turned it over three times and Ricky Rubio airballed a wide-open three-pointer.
