Jazz Eliminated By Houston In Game 5 After Failing To Make Key Shots
Apr 24, 2019, 8:34 PM | Updated: Apr 25, 2019, 12:58 pm
Eric Gordon #10 of the Houston Rockets and PJ Tucker #17 battle with Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz for the ball in the first half during Game Five of the first round of the 2019 NBA Western Conference Playoffs between the Houston Rockets and the Utah Jazz at Toyota Center on April 24, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, Texas – With an 100-93 loss to the Houston Rockets in Game 5, the Utah Jazz have been eliminated from the NBA playoffs.
Houston claimed the series victory four games to one.
After losing the first three games of the series, the Jazz came up with a big 107-91 win in Game 4 at Vivint Smart Home Arena. In that game, Donovan Mitchell scored 19 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter to will Utah to the win and prevent the series sweep.
Final 💔 pic.twitter.com/5EvzA9dZ00
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 25, 2019
Rockets Start Fast, Finish Strong
In Game 5, Houston started hot, grabbing an 8-0 lead to begin the game. The Jazz battled back to tie the game up at 20-all at the start of the period and led for the majority of the second quarter. Unfortunately to finish the half, the Rockets reeled off an 8-0 run to take a 46-42 lead at the break.
The Rockets expanded their lead to as much as 12 in the third quarter, led by seven points in the period by James Harden, who had struggled with his shooting early on in the game.
Royce O’Neale played a strong third quarter with 10 points in that period alone to help Utah cut the lead to just six going into the final quarter.
A jumper by Ricky Rubio tied the game up at 75-all with 10 minutes to go and a basket by Georges Niang a little bit later gave Utah their first lead of the second half.
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 25, 2019
The Rockets immediately retook the lead on buckets by Chris Paul and Harden and the two teams played back-and-forth for a bit.
A floater by Harden gave the Rockets a six point lead with four minutes remaining but the Jazz weren’t done fighting for their playoff loss yet.
Utah cut the lead to just one on a triple by Jae Crowder and then again on a mid-range shot by Rubio.
With Houston leading 94-93 with a minute remaining, Rubio had a chance to give Utah the lead with a wide open corner three, but his shot sailed over the rim completely.
Ricky Rubio with an air ball in the biggest moment…🤦♂️
The Rockets defeat the Jazz 100-93 and advance to the next round. #HOUvsUTA pic.twitter.com/6vAErOJrlc
— Sports Plug (@_SportsPlug) April 25, 2019
From there, the Jazz committed a pair of untimely turnovers and allowed Houston to make game-clinching free throws to finish the game.
By The Numbers
In the final game of the year, Mitchell struggled with just 12 points on just 4-for-22 shooting while going 0-for-9 from beyond the arc.
Rudy Gobert was held short of a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds.
O’Neale led the Jazz in scoring with 18 points on 8-for-13 shooting.
Taking Out The Jazz For The 2nd Straight Year! pic.twitter.com/7enl1Ghjo5
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) April 25, 2019
Harden finished with 26 in a game that was quite rare for the potential two-time MVP. In the win, he shot just 3-for-5 from the free throw line. For the season, he averaged 11 attempts and 9.7 makes per game at the charity stripe.
Houston Advances
Houston will advance to play the winner of the series between the Golden State Warriors and the LA Clippers.
It’s the first first-round exit for the Jazz under head coach Quin Snyder and the organization’s first since 2012 when they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
