Warriors at Rockets
The Houston Rockets have had the look all season of a team ready to dethrone the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference. They now get their chance to try to turn that vision into a reality when the star-studded squads tangle in the best-of-seven conference finals, beginning with Game 1 on Monday night in Houston.
The Rockets won the West by seven games over the second-place Warriors and took two of three regular-season meetings while averaging 117.3 points, and they've cruised to their second conference finals in four seasons - the last in 2015 resulting in a lopsided series loss at the hands of Golden State - with back-to-back 4-1 series wins over Minnesota and Utah. The defending NBA champion Warriors also needed just five games to get by each of their first two opponents and are seeking their fourth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. "We know they are a great team," Golden State coach Steve Kerr recently told the media of the Rockets. "We know they are ready, and we'll be ready for them." The teams last met in the playoffs in 2016, when the Warriors rolled in five games in a first-round matchup.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Golden State returned to full power when Stephen Curry came back from a knee injury in Game 2 of the semifinal series against New Orleans, and the two-time MVP showed little rust as he averaged 24.5 points while making 44.1 percent of his 3-pointers during the series. His presence makes the defending champs a complete team that is supremely confident, even as a rare underdog. "No, I like where we are," Kerr told the media. "Our guys have rings. That's a good position to be in. To me, the hardest championship is the first one, as an individual player and as a team, because you don't know - you don't quite know - if you can do it."
ABOUT THE ROCKETS: The big difference between past Houston teams that have faltered against Golden State is the notable addition of point guard Chris Paul, who averaged 21.8 points through the first two rounds. "We've got eight more wins to get," he told reporters when asked if he celebrated his first trip to the conference finals in his 13-year career. "I don't know what it's supposed to feel like, but we've still got a lot of work to do." Backcourt mate James Harden continues to stuff the stat sheet and has joined Michael Jordan (1988-89 and 1990-91) as the second player in NBA history to average at least 28 points, seven assists, five boards and two steals while playing more than five games in a postseason.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Warriors SG Klay Thompson shot 38.4 percent from the field against New Orleans, making just 8-of-34 from 3-point range over the final four games of the series.
2. Rockets SG Eric Gordon averaged 20 points in three regular-season meetings despite going 2-of-24 from beyond the arc.
3. Houston C Clint Capela is averaging 14.4 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks this postseason.