• Playoffs.A genius of Jokic, a ball that danced in the hoop: the agonizing end that resolved the most even series of the playoffs

James Harden, the NBA's leading scorer, sealed the Rockets' pass to the Western semifinals with a ... stopper.

Because it was a great defensive action of his, after an unfortunate night in attack ((17 points with 4/15 in shooting), the one that sent the Thunder home (103-102) and made Houston the rival of the Lakers, After a very close tie (4-3), with four seconds remaining, with the Rockets 103-102 up, Harden blocked a triple attempt by rookie Luguentz Dort that would have given Oklahoma the victory and qualification. in the East, the Heat again surprised Milwaukee (116-114) and lead 2-0 in their conference semifinal duel.

"It's okay to get 40 or 50 points. Obviously we all want to do that. But having recognition defensively when it counts shows my commitment to the end," Harden said.

The guard, who averages 34 points per game, had a great defensive performance with two steals and three blocks, the last, key to Houston's victory.

Canadian Dort, specialized in defending Harden, unexpectedly shone on the offensive side with 30 points with six triples.

Russell Westbrook

, who scored 20 points and is finding form after his quadriceps injury, and

Rob Covington

, with 21 points, kept pace with the Rockets in a tense game that reached the home stretch even.

The leader of the Thunder, veteran

Chris Paul

, signed a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.

The point guard, who a year ago was traded by the Rockets in exchange for Westbrook, took responsibility in the last possession but could not get to the basket and assisted

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

in an imprecise way

, who ended up giving up at the three-to-line. Dort.

"It was my fault, I should have found a better option for the shot," lamented Chris Paul.

After Harden's block to Dort, possession went to the Rockets and Covington, after receiving a foul, scored one of his free throws for the final 104-102.

"We did not care about the predictions throughout the year, so we played every game. We expected to win (...) This is very tough," said Paul, who at 35 has almost averaged a triple-double per game in this series with 20 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

The Rockets, who could not count on Westbrook in the first four games, had led 2-0 in the series but the Thunder struggled to reach the decisive seventh game, where they ended up drowning at the last moment.

The Lakers are already waiting for Houston in the Western semifinals.

Bucks and Giannis in trouble

In the Eastern Conference, where the semifinals have already begun, the Miami Heat once again surprised the Milwaukee Bucks (116-114) and placed 2-0 in the series, thanks to a choral performance in which seven players surpassed 10 points.

The Bucks, who were the best team in the regular season, need to react quickly to an opponent who is knowing how to tie up

Giannis Antetokounmpo

, current Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NBA.

The Greek, who in the first game was 18 points, scored 29 and 14 rebounds but did not know how to distribute the game for his teammates, who abused the triple and without much success: 7/25 (28%).

The game also had a tight ending in which the Bucks rallied by nine points in the final two minutes to tie it at 114.

The Heat had the last possession of the game with a shot from

Jimmy Butler

(13 points) that did not enter, but the referees, after reviewing the video, whistled a staff from Antetokounmpo to the Miami guard, who scored the two free throws over time. already finished.

"I haven't seen the play. They (the umpires) say there was contact. Maybe, I have to see the play," Giannis said.

"We have to play harder," he added.

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