Record: 51-28, 3rd in West
Record vs. Warriors: 3-1
Why they can win: Houston nearly dethroned the Warriors last year if not for some bad luck: Chris Paul's Game 5 injury and 27 straight missed threes in Game 7, a historic cold streak.
Almost all year, the Rockets have looked like a lesser version of that team — until now.
Since the All-Star break, the Rockets have the NBA's best record, second-best offense, and second-best defense. They have the single best scorer and shot-creator in the NBA in James Harden — oh, and a pretty good point guard in Paul.
The Rockets seem to bait the Warriors successfully into playing slow, iso-heavy basketball. The Warriors have the talent to match them, and they make life difficult on Harden, but it's not the way they want to play.
Any prospective series will depend on Harden scoring lots and doing it efficiently, Paul providing relief, and the Rockets' shooters hitting threes. The defense, of course, will need to hold up, too, but if Houston baits the Warriors into playing slow and one-on-one, they've won half the battle. That may seem obvious, but if the Rockets play a perfect series, they once again have a chance to beat the Warriors.