The Golden State Warriors are set to play the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night, but the Houston Rockets plan to fly to Oakland ahead of the conclusion of that series, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
The reason for this is the Rockets want to adjust to Pacific Time as well as get an extra practice at Oracle Arena before playing the Warriors. A likely Rockets vs. Warriors series would begin Sunday in Oakland so it makes sense that Houston wants to be as prepared as they possibly can going into that series.
However, the possibility of the Clippers upsetting the Warriors on Friday and forcing a Game 7 is still on the table, in which case Houston plans to stay in San Francisco and practice there Sunday. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, if the Clippers were to pull the ultimate series upset, the Rockets will fly home and prepare to host Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals in Houston.
It might be little bit presumptuous for Houston to do this, but playing against the Warriors means grabbing every advantage you can. The idea is that this would ultimately pay off in a better rested and prepared Rockets team.
