HOUSTON (AP) Chris Paul scored a playoff career-high 41 points with eight 3-pointers to finally reach the conference finals, helping the Houston Rockets eliminate the Utah Jazz 112-102 in Game 5 on Tuesday night.
It will be Houston’s second trip to the Western Conference finals in four years and the first ever for Paul. The point guard has been panned for failing to get past the second round in his nine previous trips to the postseason.
Houston returns to the conference finals for the first time since 2015. It’s the second straight season the Jazz lost in this round after being swept by Golden State last season. Houston made 18 3-pointers to give the team 10 or more 3-pointers in an NBA playoff-record 16 straight games.