The Houston Rockets have seen a major difference in between series, getting a much stiffer and complex defense schematic from the Utah Jazz, who have limited their long-range prowess after Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Yet the Rockets find themselves up 3-1 in the series and with a chance to close out tonight at the Toyota Center, confident that the team will find ways to win, even if the three-ball isn't dropping.

Houston won Game 4 thanks to a mid-range assault by point guard Chris Paul, taking what was available, despite the team's siren song of layups, threes, and frees, which has become a cult in the locker room.

“It just shows we have a lot of different ways we can win the game,” forward Trevor Ariza said, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “We don’t have to just rely on us shooting threes. Now, we’re letting our defense dictate how we win.”

Forward P.J. Tucker agreed, noting it starts and ends with the defense — letting offense come within the flow of the game.

“We’re going to make shots,” Tucker said. “We’re not worried about that. We know we’re going to make shots. We’re going to keep shooting our shots, doing the same things. As long as our defense stays up, we have a chance to win every night.”

The Rockets could close this series out, making the most of a short-handed Jazz team without starter Ricky Rubio and backup Dante Exum for tonight's Game 5.