The Houston Rockets have their backs against the wall, but so far the pressure is on Oklahoma City as the Thunder have a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference first round series, but have lost the past two games after going up 3-0.
The Rockets are fighting against history since no NBA team has ever come back from that deficit, but the past two games the team has played much better and with a home game on Friday night they have the chance to push the series to a Game 7. Jeremy Lin hasn't been in the lineup for the past two games and James Harden has been dealing with flu like symptoms, yet the Rockets have been able to take the past two from OKC. Harden is expected to start Game 6 despite the sickness, while Lin will also play for the first time in two games, but he will be coming off the bench.
Oklahoma City has been lacking some explosiveness without Russell Westbrook in the lineup and Kevin Durant will have to step up on Friday night for the team to move to the next round. Westbrook was injured after getting his knee bumped by Patrick Beverley in Game 2 and after MRI's showed a torn meniscus, he underwent surgery and now is out for the playoffs. The team won Game 3 without him, but his absence was felt over the past two games despite his high scoring output. The Rockets have been able to double up on Durant and the Thunder role players will have to step up on Friday.
Beverley and Francisco Garcia have gotten extra minutes without Lin in the lineup and that should continue in Game 6 with Lin coming off the bench. Harden has been the primary playmaker for the Rockets throughout the series and after scoring 20 points in the first game he has had at least 30 points or more in two of the past three games, including 30 points in the third game and 36 points and 11 rebounds in game two, his best night of the series.
Durant has gone head to head with his former teammate in each game and he has been scoring in bunches despite the extra defense, adding 41 in the third game, which he also had 14 rebounds, and he added 36 points and 38 over the past two defeats and the team is looking for a performance like he had in the third game and this is a do or die game for the Rockets and they will be playing with that type of mentality.