The Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors 131-116 in Game 5 of the first round. Entering the game down 3-1 in the series, the Rockets led by as much as 31-points and held off a late-game rally by Golden State to avoid elimination, with Fred VanVleet scoring 26 points and Amen Thompson adding 25.

The Rockets and Warriors will meet for Game 6 on Friday night at Chase Center.

**
The Minnesota Timberwolves advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs after beating Los Angeles Lakers 103-96 in Game 5. The Wolves were led by four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, who posted a playoff career-high 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting and 24 rebounds.

Minnesota will move on to face the winner of the Golden State Warriors-Houston Rockets series in the Western Conference semifinals. The Warriors currently lead their series 3-2.

Editorial credit: Matthew Nichols1 / Shutterstock.com