And they just got a big dose of reality. This ain't the regular season.
True enough the Rockets took two out of three from the Golden State Warriors during the regular season.
Also true enough they wound up with the best record in the NBA, thereby guaranteeing home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
But Golden State has obviously been there, done that in the playoffs in recent years, having won two of the last three championships. They likely would have won the other two years ago had not loose cannon Draymond Green finally been righteously suspended for his thuggish on-court tactics during that Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. At the time, the Dubs were ahead in the series 3-1 with Game Five at home. It should have been over. But Lebron and Co. exploited the absence of dear Draymond to win a game at the Oracle, and the tide turned. Back to Cleveland for a blowout Game Six, and hey, anything can happen in a Game Seven. It did, and the Cavs walked away with an unlikely title. Heckuva job, Draymond. Though he'd never admit it, he cost his team, city, ownership, and fans a championship because he couldn't behave himself. It was on YOU chump, but he's too dense and cocky to realize it.
And it might just be that while Houston has been so busy busting their butts all season trying to prove something, the Warriors have been laying back and pacing themselves knowing they have what it takes when the grind of the playoffs starts.
Put another way, the Warriors have four All-Stars on their team. The Rockets two. And they're both guards, little guys. And neither has been there, done that before.
On to the Western Conference Finals, and Houston hosting Golden State. In Game One, the Warriors thumped them in their own building to retake home court advantage.
And if the Rockets somehow don't manage to win Game Two, at home, they can kiss this season good-bye. No way are they beating Golden State four out of five with three of them being in Oakland. Ain't gonna happen.
So we'll see.
No pressure.
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