Rockets host Warriors in crucial Game 7 with trip to Western Conference semifinals on the line

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — It all boils down to this: Game 7. It’s win or go home.

The Houston Rockets host the Golden State Warriors for Game Seven of their back-and-forth first-round series on tonight at Toyota Center.

After six games of blowouts, chippy, and down-to-the-wire matches, the series is up for grabs as both Houston and Golden State are tied three games apiece.

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For the Rockets, the team is soaking up their first playoff experience with the majority of their core, including the likes of All-Star center Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason.

As for Houston’s veterans, its floor general Fred VanVleet, who won a championship with the then Kawhi Leonard-led Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals, and players such as Dillon Brooks and Steven Adams, who have embraced their roles in head coach Ime Udoka’s rotation.

Through the duration of the series, Houston has physically outmatched Golden State in size or interior presence with lineups featuring a combination of Sengun, Adams, and Smith Jr.

With the opportunity to overcome a 3-1 deficit, Houston will look to take advantage of home court on Sunday, but it will take a leap of faith with the supplementary parts that made them a No. 2 seed this season in a loaded Western Conference.

As far as the opponents down in the Bay, their versions of Batman and Robin in superstars Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler had their hero ball moments vs. Houston. Obviously, this iteration of the Warriors’ makeup is distinct from the team from the first championship in 2015 to its glory days with Kevin Durant, which led to two consecutive NBA titles in three Finals appearances, to the 2022 squad with the likes of Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole. Yet, when it comes down to playoff experience, Curry and Butler, as well as defensive-minded star Draymond Green, under head coach Steve Kerr, have been in this position multiple times in their respective careers than any of the Rockets players combined, so it’s up to them to use it as motivation and galvanize their inconsistent supporting cast to close the show on the road at Toyota Center.

SEE HERE: Houston Rockets beat Golden State Warriors in Game 6 win to force Game 7 at home

All in all, both teams have had highs and lows throughout the best-of-seven series. Whether it’s the thrill of victory or agony of defeat, NBA fans are in for a treat for Sunday’s matchup.

The winner of Houston-Golden State will play Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday, May 6.

Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.