Led by guard James “The Beard” Harden, the Houston Rockets stunned the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals on Monday, avoiding elimination in the process.
After Game 3’s blowout loss, Houston came out firing from the tip-off. The Rockets’ 45 points was not only the most scored by the team in the first this season, but also the most allowed Golden State in a single quarter all year. Despite Houston’s offensive explosion, the game’s biggest storyline came halfway through the second, when league MVP Stephen Curry had to leave the game after a scary fall.
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Curry would eventually return during the third quarter, but Houston’s lead simply proved too much for the top-seeded Warriors to overcome. All five of Houston’s starters scored in double digits — including a cool 45 from Harden — and the Rockets would eventually go on to win by a final of 128-115.
Game 5 takes place on Wednesday at 9 p.m., E.S.T. at Oracle Arena in Oakland.