The Houston Rockets won a franchise-record 65 games and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NBA playoffs. They took care of business in the first round, dispatching the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games.
They're just one step away from possibly facing the champion Golden State Warriors in the playoff matchup that we've all been anticipating for months. But this step promises to be much tougher than the last one, because the second best team in the Western Conference over the last three months hasn't been the Warriors. It's been the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz won 29 of their last 35 games in the regular season, with the league's best defense (by a wide margin) and the 11th-ranked offense over that time. And in the first round, they beat a team (Oklahoma City) with Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Steven Adams, and home-court advantage. They have an elite defense, they have a budding star in rookie Donovan Mitchell, and they play together.
It's a matchup of the No. 2 offense and the No. 2 defense in the regular season, as well as a meeting of the favorite for MVP (James Harden) and the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year (Rudy Gobert).
Here are some statistical notes to get you ready for the Western Conference semis, with links to let you dive in and explore more. Game 1 is Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Pace = Possessions per 48 minutes
OffRtg = Points scored per 100 possessions
DefRtg = Points allowed per 100 possessions
NetRtg = Point differential per 100 possessions
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