The Rockets vs Thunder Playoffs series is tied at two each and it’s time to find out who’ll take the lead in Game 5. With the matchup scheduled for Wednesday night, Russell Westbrook will not be starting his postseason campaign in this game. He is sitting out with a strained right quad that may highly burden Rockets’ star, James Harden.

After a 2-0 deficit in the series, Oklahoma City Thunder pulled itself back to even the series. The absence of Westbrook has affected gameplays for the Rockets with the entire offensive control taken by Harden. Eric Gordon plays a crucial role in such situations, and he has stepped up this time. But Russell’s void needs a vast amount of effort to be filled in the postseason.

In Game 4, Thunder paved their way to a 117-114 victory with Dennis Schroder dropping career playoff-high 30 points. Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also added their contributions to make the series equal. Thunder was shooting 49% from the field in that game.

Luguentz Dort has been significant for Thunder in his defensive efforts against Harden. He’s taken a crucial role in the game to stop the Rockets’ star.

Rockets’ coach says medical staff will make a decision for Westbrook’s return

James Harden had recorded 32 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds for Houston in the last match. Gordon also added another 23 points, but eventually they fell back to the losing end.

Thunder slowly found their momentum in the Playoffs, but still on time. The first two games took their trio to dwell on the pressure. Now they are set and ready to go.

On the other hand, without Russell, Harden and co. will have to buck up their game to the finest level, especially defensively. Even the last game saw a poor defensive performance from their end that led to their defeat.

It will be an intense battle out there with so many stars on the court. Who do you think will grab the lead in Game 5?