If the Rockets' season had demonstrated anything it was that they would not do things the easy way. From the stumbling start to the last-night loss that put them in their tough first-round matchup, they had treated the whole season as a long test of their perseverance.
The night to close out the first round would be no different, but ultimately a rewarding way to get to their presumed rematch with the Warriors.
With the Jazz shooting for the lead in the final two minutes, the Rockets defense took over until the Rockets escaped the clamps the Jazz had placed on them, moving to the Western Confer-ence semifinals with a 100-93 Game 5 win on Wednesday.