Golden State and Houston open up one of the more highly anticipated conference final series in some time tonight at Toyota Center. Get all the info you need below, and catch up on Sunday's game here.
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Steve Kerr's Warriors may not win Game 1, but Kerr provided the quote of the day.
Before the game, Kerr was asked about the Supreme Court decision Monday to allow states to set up frameworks to handle sports betting. Kerr, always and forever comfortable in front of a microphone, didn't hesitate.
"I'm taking Warriors plus 1 1/2," he said with a smile, referring to the Warriors being underdogs in the betting markets heading into Monday night's game against the Rockets.
HOUSTON — It isn't often that the home team in a best-of-seven series feels like it must win Game 1. Yet that's exactly the case for the Houston Rockets against the Golden State Warriors when the Western Conference finals kick off tonight, in what easily is one of the most hotly anticipated series in recent memory.
It's hard not to look at this series and see parallels to the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers. Like Toronto, Houston has spent the past year doggedly pursuing one opponent. Like Toronto, Houston relentlessly chased after the No. 1 overall seed in its conference so as to secure home court advantage. Like Toronto, Houston changed the way it played in preparation for this exact moment.
Now we get to see if Houston's path can diverge from Toronto's on the most important stage. When Toronto fell apart in the final minutes of Game 1, missing 16 of its final 18 shots and losing in overtime after never trailing in regulation, there was near unanimity around the league: The series was already over. It was just a matter of whether Toronto would make it look competitive or not.
The Raptors mostly did not, and Dwane Casey was fired because of it.
That's not to say this situation is completely analogous; Houston is, without question, a much better team than Toronto. No one's job is on the line. The Rockets will have more moves to make in the future to improve in ways that the Raptors will have difficulty doing.
But Houston has undoubtedly poured all of its energy into beating Golden State this season. A win in Game 1 would put the Warriors on the defensive, an unusual position for them, adding extra intrigue to Game 2.
A loss, though, could potentially see everything the Rockets have built come crashing down, particularly a convincing one. That's what makes this game so compelling, and why the Rockets need, to find a way to come out on top.
Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets, Game 1 — 9 p.m., TNT
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Hop into the comments section below to chat with The Post's Tim Bontemps about all of your NBA questions.
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