OAKLAND, Calif. -- A big smile broke out on Clint Capela's face as he was being asked a question about the meaningfulness of the Houston Rockets clinching the regular-season series against the Golden State Warriors.
Capela intentionally wasn't nearly as bold as he was under similar circumstances last season, when he declared to ESPN that the Rockets were the better team. He settled with expressing confidence without uttering any words that would end up on bulletin boards in the two-time defending champions' locker room.
"We have a team that has a lot of potential," Capela said after the Rockets pulled out a 118-112 win Saturday night at Oracle Arena despite reigning MVP James Harden's absence due to flu-like symptoms and a cervical strain in his neck.