Feb 21, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) talks with center Alperen Sengun (28) after a play during the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors stand alone in the final first-round series of the NBA playoffs. In what has been a grueling, defensive-oriented matchup, the Rockets have a chance to pull off a 3-1 comeback with Game 7 tonight at the Toyota Center.
Houston has fought tooth and nail to get back into this series after abysmal offensive performances in Games 3 and 4. The Rockets finally found a way to stop Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler in Game 5, then won Game 6 off a three-point barrage from Fred VanVleet. Houston has all the momentum going into tonight’s decisive matchup.
Game 7 means more than a chance for the Rockets to move on and face the Minnesota Timberwolves in round two. This modern rivalry has gone on for the last decade.
Houston was once a title contender through the mid-to-late 2010s, but a hard reset and rebuild resulted in this year’s roster being full of young players with potential. While the Rockets retooled their roster, two things have remained constant: Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Curry and Green are the last two players remaining from Golden State’s first Western Conference Finals matchup against Houston. They’ve never lost to the Rockets in a playoff series, with a perfect 4-0 record.
While a win tonight won’t change what happened against the Warriors in the past, Houston has the chance to make a major statement in many ways. The first would be eliminating Curry and a Warriors squad that was red-hot through the second half of the regular season. The majority of the NBA community was doubting the Rockets coming into this series.
Straying away from the opponent, Houston can cement itself among the league’s elite. This is still a young core with a ways to go before winning a title, but beating an experienced team with a championship pedigree lets the rest of the NBA know that the Rockets are built to win right now.
Diving deeper into the roster, the Rockets had been rumored to be in line for a superstar via trade this offseason. There have been so many questions regarding their offense, with a lack of that ‘it’ factor in the scoring department. Players like Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Devin Booker have been linked to Houston via trade.
Winning Game 7 would silence those trade rumors for the time being. The Rockets could use this series win as leverage to stay patient rather than making a blockbuster win-now move. Houston has the chance to make this season more than just ‘fun.’ The Rockets can make serious waves across the league if they take down one of the NBA’s greatest franchises.
