The Houston Rockets have looked dead in the water at multiple points of their Western Conference Semifinals series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Down 3 games to 1 after a dismal first run through Southern California, the Rockets looked woefully out of sync and destined for an early vacation.
However, Houston has pulled themselves off the deck in impressive fashion, following a Game 5 home win with a 19-point second-half comeback for the ages to force a Game 7 in the heart of Texas.
The winner gets the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. The loser faces the long offseason ahead. Here's your winner-takes-all Game 7 preview.
Projected Starting Lineups
(All stats based on playoff performance only)
(3) Los Angeles Clippers
G Chris Paul – 21.7 ppg, 8.6 apg
G J.J. Redick – 15.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg
F Matt Barnes – 8.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg
F Blake Griffin – 25.4 ppg, 12.8 rpg, 6.2 apg
C DeAndre Jordan – 12.8 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 2.3 bpg
(2) Houston Rockets
G Jason Terry – 9.6 ppg, 2.7 apg
G James Harden – 26.3 ppg, 8.0 apg, 4.6 rpg
F Trevor Ariza – 12.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg
F Josh Smith – 12.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg
C Dwight Howard – 17.3 ppg, 13.7 rpg
What to watch for:
Who's the hero Los Angeles needs?
The Clippers are a loss away from the loudest case of the "what if's" to hit the basketball media in a long while. After looking destined to make their first-ever West Finals four games in, Los Angeles is a road loss away from playoff extinction. Will Blake Griffin keep his monster playoff run going with a game for the ages? Is Chris Paul healthy enough to take over? Who's the role player ready to take the third scoring load on Sunday?
There's not a lot of time, so the Clippers need to answer these questions quickly.
Can Houston continues its dominance on the boards?
Aside from a legendary 40-point fourth-quarter scoring burst to win Game 6 going away, it was the Rockets' work on the boards at both ends which has positioned them one game away from advancement. Houston outrebounded Los Angeles 60-45 overall and 15-4 on the offensive boards, using those second chances to hang around and ultimately finish off the Clippers.
One more dominant day under the rim and we may very well have a Rockets/Warriors Western Conference Finals.
Prediction: Clippers win 113-110
We're not sure about this pick by any stretch, but it just feels like this is the time for the Clippers to get off the West Finals snide. Look for a Blake Griffin game to remember and a JJ Redick triple-fest to help the Clips eke out a Game 7 win...maybe even in overtime.
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