On this day in 2017, veteran backup center Nene had 28 points and 10 rebounds as the Houston Rockets held off the host Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series.
Nene scored his 28 points on 12-of-12 shooting, which tied the all-time record for most made shots without a miss in NBA playoff history. He joined Hall of Fame center Wilt Chamberlain as the only NBA players to tally 20+ points and 10+ rebounds on 100% FG in a playoff game.
Houston rallied to a 113-109 victory (box score) behind a decisive 40-32 edge in the fourth quarter, giving the Rockets a 3-1 series lead.
Had the Thunder won, it would have tied the series and effectively made it a best-of-three contest. Instead, the Rockets grabbed a commanding lead and closed out the April 2017 series at home in Game 5.
Thunder guard and eventual 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook had 35 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists, while Houston’s backcourt of James Harden and Pat Beverley combined for just 22 points on 24.1% shooting.
Starting center Clint Capela registered a -25 in the plus/minus in his 18 minutes, and he was largely outplayed by Thunder big man Steven Adams — who had 18 points (80% FG) and seven rebounds.
But head coach Mike D’Antoni‘s three-man bench of Nene and reserve guards Eric Gordon and Lou Williams saved the day. Gordon and Williams each scored 18 points, while Nene had a historically efficient showing and was a game-high +24 in his 25 minutes.
The 2016-17 Rockets, who finished the regular season with a 55-27 record and as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed for the playoffs, advanced to the second round before bowing out in six games to No. 2 San Antonio. Nene suffered a season-ending adductor tear in Game 4, and Houston then lost the next two games without him.
