Eric Gordon Says Rockets Would Be in NBA Finals If Chris Paul Played in Game 7

Houston Rockets swingman Eric Gordon believes things would have gone differently in the final two games of the Western Conference Finals had a hamstring injury not sidelined point guard Chris Paul.

"If he was out there, we would be playing on Thursday," Gordon said after Houston lost Monday's Game 7 to the Golden State Warriors 101-92, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

There is certainly a case to be made for Gordon's opinion, as the Rockets built double-digit leads in the first halves of Game 6 and Game 7 only to lose their advantages without the veteran's steadying presence helping dictate the pace.

Paul would have given Houston another offensive option when it missed 27 consecutive three-pointers in Monday's contest and could have provided important defense against Stephen Curry when the two-time MVP went into takeover mode in the third quarter.

Alas, Paul was not on the floor, and the Warriors will now turn their attention to a fourth straight NBA Finals matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers in a series that starts Thursday.