In addition to the series-saving performances from their celebrated trio of skilled guards, the Oklahoma City Thunder placed so much ballyhoo on the defensive effort of rookie Luguentz Dort that it was all but guaranteed the Houston Rockets would devise a suitable counterattack.
In Game 5 last Saturday, the Rockets proved much more deliberate in making sure Dort felt the body of a screener as he defended James Harden, and the result was favorable. Harden produced his most efficient showing of the series and the Rockets rolled to a 114-80 victory that secured a 3-2 series lead and an opportunity to close out Oklahoma City on Monday near Orlando.