Rockets-Warriors Set For Western Conference Finals

HOUSTON, TX — The Houston Rockets looked like the top team in the NBA most of the season, and they earned home-court advantage throughout the playoffs for having the league's best record. Now comes the hard part.

With Tuesday's 112-102 win in Game 5 over the Utah Jazz, the Rockets advance to the Western Conference Finals, where they'll face defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors, who took down New Orleans in their Game 5 Tuesday night as well.

Game 1 of the conference finals will be Monday night at the Toyota Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on TNT. Game 2 will be Wednesday before it shifts to Oakland on Sunday for Game 3.

Golden State had the league's second-best record and is the three-time defending conference champion. The Warriors faced the Lebron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals each of the last three years, with the Warriors winning in 2015 and 2017.

On the other side of the ledger, the Cavaliers are back in the Eastern Conference Finals after sweeping top-seeded Toronto in four games. The Cavaliers will face either the Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers in the conference finals. The Celtics hold a 3-1 lead and host Game 5 tonight.

Here's the Western Conference Finals best-of-7 schedule and times (all games on TNT):
Game 1 — Golden State at Houston, Monday, May 14 • 8 p.m.
Game 2 —Golden State at Houston, Wednesday, May 16 • 8 p.m.
Game 3 — Houston at Golden State, Sunday, May 20 • 7 p.m.
Game 4 — Houston at Golden State, Tuesday, May 22 • 8 p.m.
*Game 5 — Golden State at Houston, Thursday, May 24 • 8 p.m.
*Game 6 — Houston at Golden State, Saturday, May 26 • 8 p.m.
*Game 7 — Golden State at Houston, Monday, May 28 • 8 p.m.
* if necessary

Image: Houston Rockets mascot Clutch celebrates the win in Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on May 8, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)