Five years ago today, role players Josh Smith and Corey Brewer helped lead one of the most stunning comebacks in NBA playoff history. It all led to the Rockets staving off elimination in Game 6 versus the Los Angeles Clippers with a 119-107 road victory (box score) on May 14, 2015.
Houston trailed by 19 points late in the third quarter and by 12 points with less than eight minutes left in the fourth — all on the road in front of a hostile environment at Staples Center. James Harden scored a team-high 23 points but struggled from the field, shooting 5-of-20 (25%).
But with Harden on the bench, the Smith- and Brewer-led bench unit caught fire midway through the final period. In all, Houston outscored the Clippers that quarter by a shocking 40-15 margin, led by a combined 29 points from Brewer and Smith. At one point, Houston went on a 23-2 run, headlined by several dagger 3-pointers from the duo of streaky shooters.
Dwight Howard held down the middle with 20 points and 21 rebounds and significantly outplayed DeAndre Jordan (8 points, 9 rebounds).
The Clippers, who were led by 31 points and 11 assists from future Rockets guard Chris Paul, shot just 4-of-22 in the fourth quarter. Blake Griffin had 28 points for the game, but did not score in the final period.
For most of the game, it looked as if Paul’s squad would win a second-round series for the first time in his Hall of Fame career. He has since shed that monkey off his back — though ironically, he did so by leaving the Clippers for Harden and the Rockets before the 2017-18 season.
Harden played less than a minute in that fourth quarter, with Houston coach Kevin McHale understandably choosing to ride the hot hands. But “The Beard,” who was later named that season’s MVP by his fellow players, made up for his inefficient Game 6 by scoring a game-high 31 points in the ensuing Game 7 victory at Houston’s Toyota Center.
That completed the Rockets’ comeback from a 3-1 series deficit, and it sent Houston to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 18 years. And none of it would have happened if not for Josh Smith and Corey Brewer, of all people, bringing back “Clutch City” in Game 6.
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