To avoid elimination by way of a sweep, the Houston Rockets needed 45 points from James Harden and 17 3-pointers in Game 4.
They'll need to do something similar three more times if they hope to become the first team in NBA history to rally from a 3-0 series deficit. That starts with pushing the series back to Houston for a Game 6 on Friday, but getting there means the Rockets will have to do something in Game 5 that they haven't done in four tries this season: win at Oracle Arena.
The 3-0 deficit is a historically tall task to overcome, but digging such a hole against the top-seeded Golden State Warriors is all the more deflating given the almost laughable odds stacked against an opposing team winning twice at Oracle.
After becoming the first Western Conference team in history to win 39 home games during the regular season, the Warriors have padded that record with a 6-1 home start during the postseason, giving them 45 wins in 48 games in front of the league's rowdiest bunch.
Their Game 2 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Conference Semifinals was Golden State's first home loss since late January, and Houston's now looking at having to beat the Warriors twice in five days in a place the Dubs only lose about once every two-to-four months.
For now, though, all that matters to Houston is Game 5.
Wednesday's game, like any postseason tussle, will be decided by matchups, and each team has had a clear lineup advantage through the first four games.
The Rockets' starters have actually outplayed the Warriors' usually dominant starting five, while their most used lineup - with Josh Smith in place of Terrence Jones at the four - has been solid yet unspectacular. For Golden State, going super small with Draymond Green at the five has changed the game.
| Lineups | Minutes Played | Net Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Terry-Harden-Ariza-Jones-Howard | 14 | +36.3 |
| Terry-Harden-Ariza-Smith-Howard | 70 | +3.2 |
| Curry-Thompson-Barnes-Green-Bogut | 40 | -4.7 |
| Curry-Livingston-Thompson-Barnes-Green | 14 | +25.2 |
How Steve Kerr and Kevin McHale utilize and stagger those lineups will likely decide Game 5, with the utilization of the versatile Green being a key component.
Despite the size Green gives up to Dwight Howard - four inches and 45 pounds, to be exact - he's done an admirable job not only taking D-12 out of defensive position when the Warriors are in attack, but also defending Howard on the other end.
If Howard can't make Green and the Warriors pay when Kerr goes small - something the Dubs have done with Green at center for about 36-37 total minutes in the series - and Harden's Rockets can't sustain their near miraculous Game 4 shooting, a highly anticipated Warriors-Cavs finals should be set by about 11:30 p.m. ET tonight.
