Durant goes down, Warriors hold off Rockets in Game 5

Klay Thompson scored 27 points, including a key layup with 4.1 seconds left, and the Golden State Warriors overcame Kevin Durant's calf injury to beat the Houston Rockets 104-99 on Wednesday night for a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Durant strained his right calf late in the third quarter. The two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP limped to the locker room after landing awkwardly following a baseline jumper. He finished with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists.

James Harden scored 31 points for the Rockets, who will try to stave off elimination back home in Houston on Friday night.

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry waits for the ball during the first half of Game 5 of the team's second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

Durant's status for Game 6 is unclear. After he departed with the injury, the rest of Golden State's array of stars helped the Warriors close it out.

Draymond Green received his fourth technical of the postseason with 3:39 left, and then knocked down a 3-pointer on the other end. Thompson followed Green's 3 with one of his own to make it 97-89 with 2:33 remaining.

Stephen Curry struggled with his shot yet again and finished with 25 points on 9-for-23 shooting. He went 3 of 11 from long range.

Houston Rockets' Eric Gordon, right, shoots over Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant (35) during the first half of Game 5 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

Curry hit a 3 with 5:09 to play that made it 89-85. He didn't even score his first points of the night until a 3 4:22 before halftime.

Golden State nearly gave it away with an awful third quarter, when the Warriors managed just 15 points and committed six turnovers. The game was tied at 72 going into the final 12 minutes.

Harden's 3 with 3:07 left in the third trimmed Golden State's lead to 66-62, and then Iman Shumpert made it a one-point game with a 3.

Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant, right, speaks with Stephen Curry (30) after Curry was called for a foul during the first half of Game 5 of the team's second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

Eric Gordon's layup with 40.6 seconds remaining gave the Rockets their first lead since the early minutes.

Green had eight points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in another spectacular effort on both ends. He supplied the energy for Golden State after two losses at Houston evened the series.

The Warriors led by as many as 20 but missed open looks and even layups, clanking shots off the front rim and allowing the tough-minded Rockets to stay close.

Houston Rockets' James Harden, left, shoots against Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson (11) during the first half of Game 5 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

Then, they heeded Steve Kerr's simple message: "Poise and awareness and poise and patience applies to all of life and not just offense," the coach said beforehand.

The Warriors pulled it off without Durant, whose 35.4 playoff scoring average was best in the NBA coming into the game.

Harden shot 10 for 16 and dished out eight assists. The reigning MVP injured his eyes during the first quarter of Game 2 last Tuesday on a hit by Green as they fought for a rebound. Harden's left eye was still red leading into Game 5.

Golden State Warriors' Kevin Durant, right, scores over Houston Rockets' PJ Tucker (17) and Iman Shumpert (1) during the first half of Game 5 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

The Warriors' win guarantees their loyal fans in the East Bay at least one more home game at Oracle Arena before the team moves to new Chase Center in San Francisco for next season.

Golden State has won each of the three previous layoff meetings against the Rockets during the last five years: the 2015 Western Conference finals, the first round the following year, and last season's West finals by rallying from a 3-2 deficit.

CRASHING THE BOARDS

Houston Rockets' James Harden (13) walks downcourt during the first half of Game 5 of the team's second-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

The Warriors led the rebounding battle 27-18 after the first half, grabbing eight on the offensive glass, and finished with a 42-39 advantage.

Houston's PJ Tucker, who had 22 rebounds the previous two games, grabbed 10 more to go with 13 points.

The Rockets outrebounded the Warriors 55-35 in their Game 3 win, and then 50-43 on Monday in Game 4 — getting 20 from Clint Capela in the two victories. Capela had 14 on Wednesday.

Houston Rockets' James Harden, center, looks to shoot between Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green, left, and Andre Iguodala (9) during the first half of Game 5 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

Golden State held an edge on the boards in both Games 1 and 2.

TIP-INS

Rockets: Eric Gordon started 0 for 8 before hitting a 3 with 7:45 left in the third. ... Houston had just two assists in the opening quarter. ... F Danuel House sat out again after missing the previous two games with an inflamed right big toe.

Houston Rockets' Chris Paul, left, lays up a shot past Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green (23) during the first half of Game 5 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

Warriors: Green's eight assists in the first were one off team record for a playoff quarter. Tim Hardaway once had nine in 1991. ... Reserve G Shaun Livingston played after he had been questionable with a sore left hip. The Warriors flew home from Houston later Tuesday so players could receive treatment and have some recovery time, and then it was back on the airplane Thursday. ... Injured C DeMarcus Cousins, who could return at some point this postseason from a torn left quadriceps muscle, did some rehab agility work on the court including skipping and running as well as shooting during morning shootaround.

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Houston Rockets' Chris Paul, right, drives the ball against Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) during the first half of Game 5 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP PhotoBen Margot)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked a shot by LeBron James and stole the ball from him on consecutive possessions in the final minute, and the Milwaukee Bucks blew a fourth-quarter lead before rallying for a 105-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points, and he hit two free throws to break a tie after Antetokounmpo blocked a driving layup attempt by James with 39 seconds left.

Antetokounmpo then knocked the ball out of James' hands from behind with 2 seconds left, and Porter hit two more free throws to seal Milwaukee's fifth win in seven games — its first over a team with a winning record since Dec. 11. Antetokounmpo finished with 21 points in his lowest-scoring effort since returning from his right calf strain.

Luka Doncic had 24 points and nine assists on 8-of-25 shooting for the Lakers. He had his lowest-scoring performance since Christmas, and he fouled out on Porter's 3-point attempt with 16.2 seconds to play.

James had 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but Antetokoumpo got the best of the top scorer in NBA history at crunch time. Los Angeles has lost six of 10.

Milwaukee surged to a double-digit lead in the first half even with Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction in his injury return. Doncic scored 12 points in the third quarter but also committed four fouls in the period, including his fifth of the game.

Los Angeles abruptly erased its deficit by going on a 17-4 run to open the fourth, with James putting the Lakers ahead when he stole the ball from Antetokounmpo for a layup with 6:02 left. Milwaukee missed nine of its first 12 shots in the period, but Porter's layup tied it with two minutes left.

Lakers starters Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura remain sidelined by injury, but Hachimura (calf) might return early next week from his six-game absence, coach JJ Redick said.

Bucks: At Denver on Sunday.

Lakers: At Sacramento on Monday.

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Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, tries to shoot as Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. go after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)