Rockets overcome 19-point deficit to stun Clippers, force Game 7

The Houston Rockets pulled off the impossible to keep their season alive Thursday night.

The Rockets erased a 19-point third-quarter deficit, finishing the game on a massive 49-18 run to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 119-107 in Game 6.

The unlikely combination of Josh Smith and Corey Brewer tallied 29 points in the fourth to help Houston to a 40-15 quarter. The Clippers' offense went ice-cold and the Rockets - with James Harden on the bench for the entire quarter - caught fire.

The series is tied 3-3 and Game 7 will be played in Houston on Sunday.

Turning Point

The Rockets looked dead in the water.

With just under three minutes left in the third quarter, Chris Paul made a basket to push the Clippers ahead 89-70. With the Staples Center crowd behind their backs, it looked as if the Clippers had their first ever Conference Finals appearance in the bag.

But that's when the Rockets woke up.

The biggest knock against Houston's play throughout the Conference Semifinals was their habit for falling into lulls. However, with their backs against the wall, the Rockets woke up in a big way.

Harden subbing out improbably spurred the Rockets' run. Houston was able to trot out a hyper-athletic wing rotation with two rim-protectors in Dwight Howard and Smith in the post. That allowed them to run the Clippers off the 3-point line while challenging drives to the basket.

The removal of Harden also made the Rockets more deadly on offense. No player monopolized the ball as every player suddenly morphed into a threat to score. Howard and Smith ran funky pick-and-rolls, Jason Terry drained pull-ups and Brewer leaked out for easy baskets in transition.

The end result was a 49-15 swing, which erased a 19-point deficit to keep Houston's season alive.

"We gave this one away, there is no doubt about that," Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said after the game. "We were trying to run the clock out and stopped playing. They kept playing. When you give up 40 points, you've stopped playing, clearly."

Star Performer

Although it as Smith and Brewer who did most of the scoring, it was Howard's defense that allowed Houston to make their tremendous comeback.

Howard only recorded two blocks, but he completely shut down the Clippers' interior attack. He held Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to just two points in the fourth quarter on a combined 0-of-6 from the field.

Howard's rebounding also helped swing the possession battle. He snagged 21 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, to gain extra possessions for the Rockets.

Offensively, Howard did most of his damage in the first half. Howard had a flurry of dunks as part of a 20-point outing. However, with his teammates stepping up offensively, Howard focused his energy on defense to end the game.

Highlight Reel

Chris Webber really loves basketball:

Griffin is ridiculous, makes no-look 180-layup

Additional highlights

• Paul and Griffin combine for tomahawk slam
• Griffin detonates on Terry

Series at a Glance

Game 1: Clippers 117, Rockets 101 (Clippers lead 1-0)
Game 2: Rockets 115, Clippers 109 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Clippers 124, Rockets 99 (Clippers lead 2-1)
Game 4: Clippers 128, Rockets 95 (Clippers lead 3-1)
Game 5: Rockets 124, Clippers 103 (Clippers lead 3-2)
Game 6: Rockets 119, Clippers 107 (Series tied 3-3)
Game 7: Sunday, May 17, TBD

Alternate Series at a Glance

Bawl(mer) is life, Bawl(mer) so hard: