The Houston Rockets have reached the Western Conference semi-finals after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 122-104.

A late rally lifted the Rockets to the second round of the NBA play-offs, with James Harden scoring half of Houstonโ€™s 30 points in the third quarter.

The 28-year-old finished on 24 points and 12 assists, while Clint Capela led with 26 points and 15 rebounds.

The Rockets took the series 4-1 and now face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Utah Jazz.

The Jazz, who are leading their series 3-2, were unable to close it out as the Thunder avoided elimination with a 107-99 victory.

Russell Westbrook led the charge in the second half, scoring 33 points of his total 45, as the Thunder came back from a 25-point deficit to set up game six.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference first round, LeBron James scored the winning three-pointer as the Cleveland Cavaliers claimed a narrow 98-95 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

DeMar DeRozan scored 32 points as the Toronto Raptors overcame the Washington Wizards 108-98.