Paul scores 41 as Rockets knock out Jazz in Game 5

HOUSTON — Chris Paul scored a playoff career-high 41 points with eight 3-pointers and the Houston Rockets beat the Utah Jazz 112-102 in Game 5 on Tuesday night to advance to the Western Conference finals.

It will be Houston’s second trip to the conference finals in four years and the first ever for Paul. The point guard has been panned for failing to get past the second round in his nine previous trips to the postseason.

Rookie Donovan Mitchell had 24 points for Utah before leaving with about seven minutes left with an apparent left leg injury.

CAVS WON’T DISCIPLINE HOOD: Rodney Hood, who has seen his role reduced during his first postseason with Cleveland, will not be fined or suspended for refusing to enter Monday night’s Game 4 win over the Toronto Raptors in the fourth quarter. Hood feels bad about the incident that happened with 7:38 left in the fourth quarter, and he expressed remorse on Tuesday to team officials about becoming a distraction HORNETS TAP BORREGO AS COACH: The Charlotte Hornets finalized a deal to hire San Antonio Spurs assistant coach James Borrego as Charlotte’s next head coach. A news conference is expected in the next few days. T-WOLVES ASSISTANT RESIGNS: Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Rick Brunson abruptly resigned and the team said he had fallen short of meeting its “high standards of conduct” amid reports he acted improperly toward women.