Harden’s poor performance leads to Rockets’ heavy 39-point loss; Spurs advance 4-2 despite star player’s absence

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　　On May 12th, Beijing time, the Spurs’ star player was injured, but the team still performed well away from home, defeating the Rockets 114-75 and advancing to the Western Conference Finals with a 4-2 record to face the Warriors. 　　Without the Spurs’ star Kawhi Leonard, the team’s other players stepped up and dominated the Rockets throughout the game. Lamarcus Aldridge scored 34 points and 12 rebounds, Jonathan Simmons had 18 points, Patty Mills contributed 14 points and 7 assists, while Paul Gasol scored 10 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and provided 5 assists. 　　The Rockets didn’t have to face their opponent’s best player, yet the whole team lost their form. James Harden scored only 5 points in the first half, and 10 points overall, with 7 assists and 6 turnovers. Trevor Ariza scored 20 points and 5 rebounds, while Clint Capela had 15 points and 12 rebounds. In the series between the Rockets and Spurs, physical combat finally occurred for the first time after the fifth game, with the Spurs winning by 3 points in overtime. In the previous four matches, the winners were decided by a two-digit margin.