Baron Davis knew his tender hamstring would limit him, so Stephen Jackson took a huge load off Golden State's do-everything star.
The Rockets insist there is no Game 7, no fallback position, no night with the home-court advantage awaiting them should they need it.
Tracy McGrady scored 26 points and Yao Ming 21 to help the Houston Rockets beat the Utah Jazz 96-92 on Monday and take a 3-2 lead in their first-round NBA playoff series.
After taking a stunning 2-0 lead in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Houston Rockets dropped the next two games in Salt Lake City, and the series is tied two apiece.
Baron Davis bedeviled the Mavericks one more time -- and now his crazy, carefree Golden State Warriors are one win away from a historic playoff upset.
Vince Carter scored 27 points, Richard Jefferson added 23, and the Nets took a 3-1 lead over the Atlantic Division champions Sunday night with a 102-81 victory -- their second-biggest ever in a playoff game.
Ben Gordon scored 24 points and Luol Deng had 22 to lead Chicago past Miami 92-79 Sunday in Game 4 to clinch the first-round Eastern Conference series.
Mehmet Okur broke out of his scoring slump with 16 points, stifled Yao Ming defensively, and the Utah Jazz evened their first-round series with a 98-85 victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night in Game 4.
The San Antonio Spurs have their swagger back. Tim Duncan had 20 points and 13 rebounds, and Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker sliced their way through Denver's defense in a 96-91 victory over the Nuggets on Saturday night.
The Orlando Magic had the lead, the momentum and the crowd support. The Detroit Pistons used their postseason experience to overcome all of it.
Tracy McGrady said it again. But this time, he was speaking of specifics, of more than perception or potential.
Jason Richardson had 30 points and eight rebounds, Baron Davis added 24 points and the Warriors steamrolled the NBA-leading Dallas Mavericks for the second time in three games, winning 109-91 Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.