"What ifs" are a big part of the sports world. Houston Rockets fans certainly understand this sentiment, especially when they reminisce about the 2018 NBA Playoffs. Back then, their team delivered impressive performances, even giving the star-studded Warriors a run for their money.
However, the team from H-Town couldn't seal the deal and ended up losing the series. A major factor in this was the injury that kept key player Chris Paul off the court. Recently, Paul's former teammate Eric Gordon shared his thoughts on that moment and presented his own "what if" scenario.
"I truly believe if CP didn't get injured, we would have won that year, I really do," claimed Gordon while appearing on a recent episode of the Club 520 podcast.
Injury heartbreak
The 2018 Western Conference Finals showcased a clash between two of the best offensive teams in NBA history. On one side were the reigning champions, the Warriors, featuring the arguably greatest shooting duo ever, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, along with the legendary scorer Kevin Durant.
Opposing them were the Rockets, led by that year's MVP, James Harden, and the' point god' himself, Paul . Looking back, many believe that CP3 played an unexpected role in shaping the outcome of the Conference Finals in 2018.
After Game 5, the Rockets took the series lead, but it was a bittersweet moment. Yes, they were just one win away from reaching the NBA Finals, but concerns loomed over their key player, Paul, who had injured his right hamstring in the final seconds of the game . Unfortunately for Paul, this was neither the first nor the last time he faced such injury setbacks during critical playoff moments.
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Would the Rockets have gone all the way?
Despite all efforts to return to the court, the 12-time All-Star couldn't make it. From the sidelines, he watched as the opposing team clinched Game 6 and advanced after winning Game 7, too.
Over six years later, two key sentiments stand out. First, it's highly likely that a healthy CP3 would have helped them seal the deal. The duo of future Hall of Famers Paul and Harden was simply too tough to handle at that time. In fact, their offensive style, implemented by coach Mike D'Antoni, seemed like kryptonite for Golden State .
The second sentiment contrasts with Gordon's statements, namely that the team from H-Town might still have struggled in the Finals. Although the eventual opponents at the time, the Cavs, were swept by the Dubs, it's still uncertain whether the Rockets would have been able to do the same.
Regardless, it was still the franchise's best playoff performance in years, and it remains so today. It's truly unfortunate how things turned out, as it could have led to at least a Western Conference Trophy for Gordon, Paul, and the rest of the team.
Related: "I'm confident that we was going to win if CP was healthy" – Trevor Ariza on the 2018 Rockets' WCF chances against the Warriors dynasty
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