Jeremy Lin was out for the Houston Rockets on Monday night, but that did not stop the team from winning over the Oklahoma City Thunder to stave off elimination for another game, as the team won 105-103 for their first victory of the postseason.
Lin was out after dealing with a bruised chest suffered in Game 2, after which he did not play the second half and he was left to play just 18 in game 3 before sitting out. Rookie Patrick Beverley, who injured Russell Westbrook to keep him out for the playoffs, has been playing well in his place, as has Francisco Garcia.
The team was helped on Monday by Chandler Parsons, who scored 27 points, while Beverley had 16 for the team and now Houston has the chance to extend the series a bit more and after leading in the fourth quarter of the past two games they finally held on for a win. Kevin Durant was excellent while scoring 38 points for OKC, while James Harden scored 15 points with 10 turnovers, not the double-double he wanted. Parsons added 10 rebounds and the team was able to hold on at the end of the game despite shots at the buzzer.
The Thunder appear to have been fine without Westbrook in the lineup, but as the playoffs progress his absence will be felt more and more by the team, especially Durant, who was happy to be up 3-1 in the series despite the loss. Things are fairly certain for OKC, as no NBA team has come back from 3-0, much less without their star points guard in Lin.
