Houston Rockets James Harden (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Everything is on the line for the Houston Rockets in tonight’s Game 7, with a loss would likely marking the end of an era for the franchise.
Game sevens are what make the NBA playoffs magical. Two teams’ seasons — whittled down to a single contest. Lose and go home. One team leaves the court in blissful ecstasy, and the other is forced to make way for the victor, their gaze cast upon the hardwood to contain the sadness that is no more basketball. And that’s just a usual game seven.