THE WEST IS WON
HOUSTON – Chris Paul didn’t want to talk about his postseason failures, not after Houston’s win Tuesday over Utah finally got him into the Western Conference finals against Golden State.
“For us it was just ... they were in the way,’’ Paul said. ‘’So we were just trying to get another win.’’
His Rockets teammates saw it a little differently. They were eager to talk about Paul’s dominant performance, including a playoff career-high 41 points, in a 112-102 victory in Game 5 that eliminated the Jazz.
“He went out there and took over the game,’’ James Harden said. ‘’(To have) an opportunity for him that he’s never had before. He went to go get it. He put us all on his back and said listen: ‘I got us.’’’
Paul made eight 3-pointers and had 10 assists and seven rebounds without a turnover. He’s the first player in playoff history to have at least 40 points and 10 assists without a turnover since turnovers became an official statistic in 1977-78, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“The performance that Chris put out there – if he didn’t make it out this time, something’s wrong,’’ coach Mike D’Antoni said.
In Oakland, Stephen Curry had 28 points, Kevin Durant scored 24 and the Warriors advanced to the finals by dismantling Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans, 113-104, in Game 5.
Klay Thompson added 23 points for the Warriors, who with a 15th straight home playoff win tied Chicago for an NBA record. The Bulls did so from April 27, 1990, to May 21, 1991.
Davis had 34 points and 19 rebounds for a Pelicans team that overcame the loss of DeMarcus Cousins to a season-ending torn Achilles tendon three months ago to make this strong run. The Pelicans shaved the lead to seven points with two minutes left on a basket by Davis before Draymond Green’s turnaround fadeaway moments later.
The Warriors will thus face the top-seeded Rockets in what has long been an anticipated Western Conference finals matchup – with a Finals feel, perhaps – and one Golden State will start on the road Monday night. The teams didn’t meet during the 2017 postseason, but the Warriors won a five-game series in the first round of the 2016 playoffs.
Curry, who returned for Game 2 after nearly six weeks out with a knee injury, knocked down an open 3-pointer midway through the third and raised his hands to get the crowd going, then made another less than two minutes later.