TDS Q&A Game 4: Rockets Top Performers & Best Play

Relief.

Rockets fans can once again feel the thrill of a playoff victory after the Rockets out-swagged the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 last night.

Kevin McHale's post-game comments couldn't have been more true. It's important for this new Rockets team to feel a playoff victory.

To celebrate, The Dream Shake writers have gathered around and shared their top Rockets performers and favorite moment from Game 4:

Rank The Top Three Rockets Performers In Game 4:

Thomas:

1. Chandler Parsons
2. Omer Asik
3. Patrick Beverley

1. Chandler Parsons: He was out of his head, and with a little luck gets a triple double.
2. Francisco Garcia: He was absolutely fearless defense on Durant, hit some big shots.
3. Patrick Beverley: Played a great game on defense, and scored well, his passing is not yet up to the rest of his game.

Patrick:

1. Chandler Parsons
2. Omer Asik
3. Carlos Delfino: He dunked on Durant, got 2 huge steals, and hit big shots all in just 26 minutes.

Max:

1. Chandler Parsons: The only other Rockets to put up a similar statline in the playoffs are Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson.
2. Patrick Beverley: The shape of this series has changed since Beverley's minutes have grown. His energy is unrivaled.
3. Francisco Garcia: He played 37 minutes and did a professional job of hounding Durant. I think he's the unsung hero for his work on the defensive end.

AK:

1. Chandler Parsons: MVP in game 4. It wasn't close.
2. Omer Asik: He finally asserted himself on the boards and on defense.
3. Patrick Beverley and Francisco Garcia and Carlos Delfino: I've got a 3-way tie for third (yes, this is a cop out).

Matthew:

1. Chandler Parsons: Parsons did his best Lebron James impersonation.
2. Omer Asik: Killed it on the glass and in the paint.
3. Patrick Beverley: Made big play after big play on both ends of the floor.

Jordan:

1. Chandler Parsons: He was literally the engine of our entire offense. His points (27) and the points generated from his assists (22) accounted for 46% of the teams overall scoring output. No Rocket scored more than 10 points without receiving an assist from Parsons.
2. Omer Asik: He absolutely dominated the glass. He had 8 offensive rebounds and more total rebounds than Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka, and Nick Collison combined. On top of that he shot 70% from the floor and defended very well on the final possession of the game.
3. Carlos Delfino: He led the team in points per possession at 1.44 and had several highlight plays including a personal 6-0 run in the last minute of the first half to cut the deficit from 13 to 7 and, of course, the beautiful robbery from K-mart that led to the Durant posterization to extend the lead to double digits late in the 3rd. He heavily influenced key momentum plays that directly put the Rockets in the position they needed to be in to win this game.

David:

1. Chandler Parsons: Parsons with the near triple double counts as two performers (and he would have been all three if he got those 10 assists).
2. Chandler Parsons: See above.
3. Omer Asik: Quietly had a monster game.

My Favorite Moment of Game 4 is:

Thomas: When Delfino stared down Durant after putting him on a poster. Aaron Brooks' deep three on Fisher was also a lot of fun (and a bad shot).

Xiane: The Carlos Delfino steal and dunk on Durant. Hey Kevin Durant, you're on Carlos Delfino's poster!

Patrick: Is there any other option other than CARLOS DELFINO DUNKFACE?

Max: Moment that went under the radar, when Patrick Beverley tried to knock the ball out of Durant's hands between free throws. Best moment: The dunk that woke up Kevin Durant.

AK: Delfino. Dunking. On. Durant's. Life. And. Then. Making. That. Face.

Matthew: The end would certainly be an easy answer, as this is the first time in the series Houston finally closed out a game they should have won. But really the entire third quarter of basketball was just a joy to watch. After getting outclassed in the second, the Rockets came out throwing haymakers in the third: Parson's play-making, Brooks' monster 3-pointer and (of course) Delfino's disgusting dunk on Durant.

Jordan: Any answer other than Delfino's steal and fastbreak slam all over Durant's face is kidding itself. Just a gorgeous sequence and likely a top 10 play of the playoffs by the end of it all. Carlos' reaction and the parallel with Durant's commercial with D. Wade is what the playoffs are all about.

David: When the buzzer sounded and the Rockets officially posted a playoff W.

Rank your top three performers in the comments.

Share your favorite moment of the game in the comments.