The Warriors were confident heading into the series, and their 95-85 victory vindicated them.
Despite surrendering a stunning 22 offensive rebounds to the Rockets, the smaller Warriors stood taller in the end.
When two teams dislike each other this much and get no break from one another in a series, the result will likely come down to focus, execution, and managing emotion.
Let’s just hope it doesn’t come down to the whims of the referees, who are going to hear lots of complaining from both teams.