The Houston Rockets will host the Golden State Warriors for Game 5 of their Western Conference Final series on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.
TNT will televise the game, and fans can also live-stream the contest on the TNT app. The pre-game show starts at 8 p.m., with Inside the NBA occurring postgame.
Here's a look at the NBA playoff results so far in addition to a look ahead at Game 5.
NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference
1st Round
No. 1 Toronto Raptors 4, No. 8 Washington Wizards 2
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers 4, No. 5 Indiana Pacers 3
No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers 4, No. 6 Miami Heat 1
No. 2 Boston Celtics 4, No. 7 Milwaukee Bucks 3
2nd Round
Cleveland 4, Toronto 0
Boston 4, Philadelphia 1
Conference Finals
Boston 3, Cleveland 2
NBA Playoffs: Western Conference
1st Round
No. 1 Houston Rockets 4, No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves 1
No. 5 Utah Jazz 4, No. 4 Oklahoma City Thunder 2
No. 6 New Orleans Pelicans 4, No. 3 Portland Trail Blazers 0
No. 2 Golden State Warriors 4, No. 7 San Antonio Spurs 1
2nd Round
Golden State 4, New Orleans 1
Houston 4, Utah 1
Conference Finals
Golden State 2, Houston 2
Eastern Conference Finals TV Schedule
Boston at Cleveland (Game 6): Friday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
Cleveland at Boston (Game 7, if necessary): Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
Western Conference Finals TV Schedule
Golden State at Houston (Game 5): Thursday at 9 p.m. on TNT
Houston at Golden State (Game 6): Saturday at 9 p.m. on TNT
Golden State at Houston (Game 7, if necessary): Monday at 9 p.m. on TNT
NBA Finals Schedule
The winner of the Western Conference Finals will have home-court advantage in the NBA Finals, as the Rockets and Warriors have the best two regular-season records of the remaining teams.
East winner at West winner (Game 1): Thursday, May 31 at 9 p.m. on ABC
East winner at West winner (Game 2): Sunday, June 3 at 8 p.m. on ABC
West winner at East winner (Game 3): Wednesday, June 6 at 9 p.m. on ABC
West winner at East winner (Game 4): Friday, June 8 at 9 p.m. on ABC
East winner at West winner (Game 5, if necessary): Monday, June 11 at 9 p.m. on ABC
West winner at East winner (Game 6, if necessary): Thursday, June 14 at 9 p.m. on ABC
East winner at West winner (Game 7, if necessary): Sunday, June 17 at 8 p.m. on ABC
All times ET.
Game 5 Preview and Prediction
The Rockets overcame deficits of 12-0 and 82-70 to bounce back and defeat the Warriors 95-92 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, on Tuesday. The loss marked the first time Golden State suffered a playoff defeat at home since Kevin Durant joined the team in 2016.
Houston's defense was exceptional in Game 4, as it held the Warriors to 39.3 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from the three-point line. The Rockets also committed six fewer turnovers.
The Rockets' key to Game 5 is whether they can replicate that defensive effort. Houston hasn't been known for its defense in years past, but it improved drastically this season, finishing sixth in defensive efficiency in the NBA.
Houston's improved defense has largely carried over into the postseason, as the Rockets have held opponents to a maximum of 96 points in five of their 15 postseason games. For context on how impressive an effort that is, only two NBA teams averaged fewer than 100 points per game for the entire campaign.
Houston may also have the personnel advantage heading into Game 5, as both Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson are listed as questionable with injuries, per Warriors PR:
Warriors PR @WarriorsPRInjury report for tomorrow night's Game 5 at Houston: Andre Iguodala (left lateral leg contusion) & Klay Thompson (left knee strain) are questionable. Patrick McCaw (lumbar spine contusion) is out.
Iguodala has posted 7.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game during the playoffs, while Thompson has averaged 19.4 points per game. Losing both players would be difficult for the Warriors to overcome on the road.
Although Game 5 prospects may be looking a little bleak for the Warriors from a few different angles, Golden State is still a one-point favorite on Thursday, per OddsShark—in part because of Durant's excellent play.
Despite a 9-of-24 night in Game 4, KD has been the best player in this series, averaging 31.8 points on 48.9 percent shooting. He's proved to be near-unstoppable in the mid-range, as the Rockets don't have the personnel to match up with him near the post (very few teams do).
Golden State's key is whether point guard Stephen Curry gets hot from downtown. If he starts raining three-pointers, this could be an uphill climb for Houston. Curry made only two threes in the first two games, but he has drilled 11 shots from beyond the arc in his past two contests.
Furthermore, rookie forward Jordan Bell, who received extra playing time with Iguodala sidelined, could end up being an X-factor here. He was solid in 18 minutes of action in Game 4, posting six points, five rebounds, one block and one steal. He brings an incredible amount of energy off the bench and could be the spark the Dubs need to take Game 5 in Houston.
Much like Game 4 (and unlike Games 1-3), expect another close contest. That being said, if Thompson is out, it's a bit more difficult seeing Golden State take this one on the road because it will be tough for the Dubs to make up for his 20.0 points per game and 44.0 percent three-point shooting. If he does play, this one should go down to the wire.
However, the guess here is Houston holds serve at home thanks to another solid defensive output and goes back to Oakland up three games to two.
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