NBA Hoosiers (Sept. 2): Eric Gordon, Rockets Survive Wild Game 7 to Advance

The talk about the Houston Rockets has focused on its three-point shooting, and very rarely does their defense get discussed.

But when it came time to find a way to win in Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, it was a huge block by James Harden and lock-down defense by former Hoosier Eric Gordon that led to a thrilling 104-102 win over the Thunder.

Gordon shut down Thunder star Chris Paul late, holding him scoreless for the final seven minutes.

“I thought everybody had a part in it, everybody did something great,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said after the game. “The way Eric guarded Chris Paul toward the end was terrific. So there’s so many guys that contributed.

"We couldn’t have fought any harder. We could have played better, but we couldn’t have fought any harder.”

Gordon also found his touch from the three-point line for the first time in the series. He had been just 8-for-43 in the first six games, a mere 16 percent. But in Game 7, he made 5-of-9 long balls, and his teammates never lost faith in him, or his shooting ability.

"That’s what we do, we drive and make plays for our shooters,'' Rockets point guard Russell Westbrook said. "We live and die by — and trust — the ability to make shots, and Eric is one of those guys. We’re gonna need him moving forward. Today he played well, and he’s going to play well moving forward.''

Harden, like Gordon, has struggled with his three-point shooting in the series and he was just 1-for-9 from three on Wednesday. But Houston survived thanks to a huge blocked shot by Harden in the final seconds to preserve the victory.

"Everything is great when you're making shots, but we found some guts and grinded it out defensively," Harden said postgame. "Our shot-making ability is going to come, and when it does it's going to be scary. But our defense has been very solid.

"I've been locked in all year long, trying to be better on that side of the ball. Tonight there was a huge emphasis on it, and I came up with the big block to win the game."

Gordon finishing the night with 21 points. As the franchise anchor searched for his jumper, his teammates led the way.

"Obviously we needed every one of [Gordon's threes]. Robert Covington, too, the threes he hit were unbelievable," D'Antoni said postgame. "[Harden] didn't have a good shooting night, but they picked up the slack."

Houston now advances to the second round to face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Game 1 is on Friday night.

Wednesday's other NBA game

Miami Heat 116, Milwaukee Bucks 114: The Heat had seven players in double figures and Jimmy Butler hit two free throws with no time left on the clock to steal the win. The Heat now lead the series 2-0 over the No. 1-seeded Bucks.

Thursday's NBA games

Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics, 6:30 p.m. ET (TV: TNT): The Celtics have jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in this second-round series, and they look to take complete control on Thursday. The Celtics have won six straight playoff games this season. Former Hoosier Romeo Langford is on the Celtics' bench, but he hasn't played much so far in this series, seeing only four minutes of action and scoring two points. Former Indiana star OG Anunoby starts at small forward for the Raptors, the defending NBA champions, and he has been playing great. He led the Raptors with 20 points in Game 2.
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets, 9:30 p.m. ET (TV: TNT): It's a quick turnaround for the Nuggets after winning a hard-fought seven-game series against the Utah Jazz. Jamal Murray has been on fire for the Nuggets. The Clippers won a tough series against the Dallas Mavericks, so this should be a fairly even series between the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Western Conference. Former Hoosier Noah Vonleh is on Denver's playoff roster, but he played only three minutes in the first series.

Daily "Hoosiers in the Pros'' roundups

Sept. 1: OG Anunoby scores 20, but Raptors lose to Celtics again in Game 2 of their second round series. CLICK HERE
Aug. 31: Thunder win Game 6 to force deciding game against Eric Gordon and the Houston Rockets. CLICK HERE
Aug. 30: Juwan Morgan and the Jazz lose Game 7; Anunoby scores 12 but Raptors lose opener to Boston. CLICK HERE
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