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NBA playoffs: Warriors wave white flag while Rockets force the game 6.

NBA playoffs: Warriors wave white flag while Rockets force the game 6.

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The Houston rockets are still there.

After the rockets had built up a lead of 31 points and forced the warriors to wave the white flag, they fended off a rally by the Golden State Bench on Wednesday evening to secure a victory with 131: 116 in game 5.

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In view of the prospect of ending a 4-1 defeat in the first round at home as No. 2 seeds, the rockets survive and lead to game 6. The series is now moving to San Francisco, where the Warriors are faced with the chance to close the series at home with a 3-2 lead.

But for the Rockets on Wednesday, the game was all about keeping the series and its playoffs alive. They hit the warriors in their mouth early and held out late when the warriors threatened with a rally.

Houston drove a 15-0 run with 20: 8 in the middle of the first quarter. When the quarter was finished, the lead was 40-24. It rose to 76-49 at halftime.

Steve Kerr sends the starter to the bench early

When Houston had a lead of 49-24 three minutes after the beginning of the second quarter, Candace Parker from TNT hovered the idea that the warriors rest their starter to save their legs for play.

Alperen Sengun and the Rockets have expanded the Warriors to play 6 (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

(Associated Press)

In the middle of the third quarter, the Warriors reached the same conclusion. Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield went to the bench with 93-64 and 5:50 in the quarter. They did not return to the game.

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Golden State Backups ended the game when head coach Steve Kerr prioritized 6 priority for his starter in anticipation of game.

Ime Udoka finally followed the example and apparently pulled Houston's starter with the victory. But the game was not over yet and Houston's starter were not finished.

The Backups of the Golden State made a 21:7 run in the fourth quarter, which brought Houston's lead to 114-101. Udoka put his starters back into play to ward off the rally. Kerr held his banking unit, which made the comeback with the chance to end the job.

It didn't. A late rougere led to technical fouls in both teams and to the export of Pat Spencer from Golden State. Dillon Brooks met a technical free throws and two more for a personal foul to expand Houston's lead to 117-101, and the rally of the Golden State emptied.

Fred Vanvleet appears again

While the Golden State squad is profound with playoff and championship experiences, Houston's is one of the least experienced in the off-season. But it was a playoff veteran that took the way on Wednesday evening.

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Fred Vanvleet was locked up from long -distance conversations and led the rockets with 26 points in 33 minutes. He shot 8 of 13 from the field and 4 of 6 out of 3 out of 3 while he went up and down on the way to his large lead.

It was the second strong shooting performance of Vanvleet, which scored 25 points when he won the Golden State with 109-106 in the game on Monday, 8 out of 12 3 points attempts.

It was the types of efforts that the rockets had certainly presented when they signed Vanvleet from the Toronto Raptors in 2023 to suspend on a squad with increasing young talent. Vanvleet, who won a championship with the Raptors in 2019, has already been here.

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Where is Jalen Green?

There were questions about this Rockets team about who would take on the role of the playoffs in a team with so little playoff experience -and hope in Houston that Jalen Green would be this type. The question remains, since Vanvleet, Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson continue to share the cargo.

Houston's leading goal scorer during the regular season, Green, took a back seat in five games in five games in five games for a fourth time. He ended with 11 points, eight rebounds and two templates as fifth goal scorer from Houston. His eight field attempts were very few of all Houston starters.

Jalen Green took his with -Rockets starter into the background in the playoffs. (Thomas Shea-IMagn pictures)

Jalen Green took his with -Rockets starter into the background in the playoffs. (Thomas Shea-IMagn pictures)

(Imagn pictures about Reuters Connect / Reuters)

Meanwhile, Thompson ended 25 points, six rebounds, three assists and five steals as a two-way force. Şengün flirted with a triple double with 15 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and two steals.

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The double-digit evaluation effort was only the second of the series for Green, which exploded for 38 points in Houston's 2 victory. But he scored seven, nine and eight points in Houston's three defeats and took on a secondary role on Wednesday evening. Houston is unlikely that it will mount a rally in this series, unless Green finds another equipment.

Will Warriors jump back at home?

Game 5 is a disposable for the Warriors. It was out of control early and you have two more chances to close the series. But game 6 on Friday will be the last chance to do this at home. If you don't do it, you will face another flight to Houston, where game 7 would be someone game.

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