No. 1: May 14, 2015
Rockets 119, Clippers 107: The 2014-15 Rockets (56-26) weren’t as good as the previously mentioned 2017-18 Rockets (65-17), who finished with the most wins of any team in franchise history.
But the 2014-15 group did have the most memorable game, and it came at the expense of future teammate Chris Paul.
Trailing by 19 points in the second half of Game 6 at Los Angeles and facing elimination in the second round of the NBA playoffs, the Rockets refused to go quietly into the night.
Led by a combined 38 points and 16 rebounds from veterans Josh Smith and Corey Brewer — and 20 points and 21 rebounds from big man Dwight Howard — the Rockets outscored the LA Clippers by an astounding 40-15 margin in the fourth quarter to take the series back to Houston.
James Harden struggled with his shot (23 points, 5-of-20 shooting) and was on the bench for much of the improbable comeback. However, he made up for it with a game-high 31 points along with eight assists and seven rebounds in the ensuing Game 7 at home, three days later.
The Rockets won that Game 7 by a 113-100 margin and advanced to their first Western Conference Finals in 18 years.
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Happy holidays to our Rockets Wire readers! For a look at Houston’s top transactions of the 2010s, please read Thursday’s post.