The Rockets have now won back-to-back games against the Thunder and they’ve done it without Jeremy Lin.
The former Knicks point guard says that it’s been the team’s choice to hold him out for Games 4 and 5 vs. the Thunder, and he feels ready to return after suffering a chest contusion earlier in the series.
“They’ve taken away my freedom to choose whether I play or not,” Lin told the Houston Chronicle.
“If it was up to me, I would have played Game 4 and Game 5.”
In Lin’s absence the Rockets have turned to Patrick Beverley as the starter and Aaron Brooks as the backup. The duo helped guide Houston past Oklahoma City in Game 5 to cut the top seed’s lead in the series to 3-2.
Lin played miserably in Game 1 of the series, and had a solid opening half of Game 2 before leaving with the injury, which has restricted his ability to shoot.
He missed the Knicks’ opening-round loss to the Heat in last season’s playoffs due to a torn meniscus.