Warriors vs. Rockets: One game for a trip to the NBA Finals

The Houston Rockets set a franchise record with 65 wins this season and finished with the best record in the NBA. That earned them home court advantage throughout the playoffs, which looms large heading into Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors on Monday night at Toyota Center.

Each team has won a road game in this series, so nothing is guaranteed. But Houston has to like their chances of reaching their first NBA Finals since 1995. The Rockets are 7-2 at home this postseason.

At issue for both teams is a starter out with injury. Chris Paul missed Game 6 with a hamstring strain for Houston and Warriors forward Andre Iguodala has missed the last three games with a bone bruise in his leg. Their Game 7 availability remains to be seen.

On Paul, per the Associated Press:

“I think he’ll play as soon as he can,” D’Antoni said before the game Saturday. “It’s just not a question of trying to outsmart. He’s going to play. As soon as he’s able to walk and run, he’ll do it. There was no shot at it today.”

On Iguodala:

“It’s a bone bruise, and those are hard to predict,” Kerr said. “Until he’s able to really run without pain, then he can’t play.”

This is the first season the NBA has featured Game 7 in each conference final series since 1979, when the Bullets and Spurs went the distance in the east and the Sonics and Suns fought out west.

Rockets vs. Warriors Game 7 info

Location: Toyota Center, Houston

Game time: 9 p.m. ET

TV: TNT

Announcers: Marv Albert, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, David Aldridge, Kristen Ledlow

Online streaming: Watch TNT