[ARTICLE]
The Houston Rockets were staring at elimination. Instead, they delivered one of their most complete performances of the playoffs.
Amen Thompson scored 23 points and Tari Eason added 20 as the Rockets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 115-96 in Game 4 on Sunday night, keeping their season alive and forcing a Game 5 in the Western Conference first-round series.
The margin told the story. A 19-point rout is not a game decided on a late shot or a fortunate bounce. Houston controlled the contest, and they did it without Kevin Durant, who missed the game due to injury.
Thompson and Eason carried the offensive load and gave the Rockets exactly what they needed: production from players asked to fill a significant void. Durant's absence had loomed over the matchup, and there was a reasonable question going in about whether Houston had enough without him. Sunday's performance answered that, at least for one night.
The Rockets now head to Game 5 with the series still alive, though Los Angeles still holds the 3-1 advantage. Houston will need to win three straight to advance, a difficult but not unprecedented path in the NBA playoffs.
