Rockets at Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs have seen the Houston Rockets turn the Western Conference semifinals into a best-of-3 series and they are feeling the urgency heading into Tuesday's Game 5. Host San Antonio will need to ratchet up the intensity after Houston operated at will while evening the series at two wins apiece on Sunday night.
The third-seeded Rockets drained 19 3-pointers in the 125-104 victory and they carved up the Spurs for 68 second-half points in the impressive showing. "This is a big stage they did it on," Houston coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters. "We have a lot of work left, but there's no reason why we can't go down to San Antonio and repeat the performance." The second-seeded Spurs will be attempting to turn the page as Sunday's loss certainly was a mighty blow and opened the door for the Rockets. "Game 5 is a Game 7," Ginobili told reporters. "We had a great opportunity to go back to San Antonio 3-1 and in a better situation. Now it's 2-2. Game 7 - We've really got to be knowing that every possession is a game-winning possession."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Houston suffered a huge blow in Game 4 as backup center Nene suffered a torn left groin - officially termed a torn adductor - and will miss the rest of the playoffs. Nene and starter Clint Capela were giving Houston solid production in the middle and the Rockets will be forced to use power forwards Montrezl Harrell and Ryan Anderson at center -- the latter being more of an outside shooter than an interior player. "Obviously I'm not a very conventional 5-man, but it also makes it difficult for the other team to figure out how to guard us with pick-and-pops or if I'm rolling to the basket or whatever it is," Anderson told reporters. "Our ability to run, we have to take those opportunities to our advantage."
ABOUT THE SPURS: The point guard situation is a huge issue for San Antonio after the season-ending quadriceps injury suffered by veteran Tony Parker in Game 2. Rookie Dejounte Murray started the past two games and averaged five points and 1.3 assists while backup Patty Mills averaged 12.5 points and 3.5 assists but made just 8-of-21 field-goal attempts. Star small forward Kawhi Leonard scored just 16 points in Game 4 after averaging 27 over the first three games while power forward LaMarcus Aldridge is enduring a mostly quiet series by averaging 15.3 points and 6.5 rebounds.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Rockets star PG James Harden averaged 35.5 points over the last two games after putting up just 16.5 over the first two contests.
2. San Antonio backup C Pau Gasol is averaging just eight points in the series and has been in single digits in three of the four games.
3. Houston G Patrick Beverley traveled to Chicago on Monday after his grandfather died Sunday and is slated to rejoin the squad for Game 5.