Warriors vs. Rockets Game 5: Betting Odds, Start Time, TV Channel For Golden State, Houston

Gone are the long breaks in between games, at least in the conference finals. The Golden State Warriors won’t have to wait nearly 100 hours to redeem themselves after their most recent loss like they did following their first defeat to the Houston Rockets.

The Warriors and Rockets will be back at it Thursday night, meeting at Toyota Center in Houston for a pivotal Game 5. The West’s No.1 seed regained home-court advantage Tuesday night with a stunning victory, coming back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter.

It isn’t just that Golden State hadn’t blown a late lead at home in the playoffs since signing Kevin Durant. The Warriors were perfect in the postseason with Durant on the roster, going 16-0 in Oakland, California before falling to Houston in Game 4. Golden State scored just 12 points in the final quarter, blowing their chance to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Game 5 starts at 9 p.m. EDT Thursday night on TNT. The betting odds favor the Warriors, who are a one-point road favorite, according to OddsShark. Golden State had been the underdog in their previous two contests in Houston.

Having only one day of rest in between games could impact both teams.

The Warriors’ top stars appeared to run out of gas in Game 4 when they were forced to play extended minutes. Draymond Green played 45 minutes and didn’t rest in the second half, while Kevin Durant totaled 43 minutes. It was a season-high for both players.

Durant made just one field goal in the fourth quarter. Stephen Curry went one-of-eight from the field in the fourth, playing 39 minutes for just the second time this season.

Houston’s starting point guard didn’t seem affected by playing 42 minutes. Chris Paul was the game’s best player, scoring 27 points on 20 shots and dishing out 10 assists. He admitted after the game that he’s been dealing with a foot injury that he suffered in Game 2, but the ailment didn’t seem to bother him the way it did in Game 3.

If Paul can stay healthy despite the short turnaround between games, Houston has a chance to have the edge in the backcourt. Warriors' shooting guard Klay Thompson suffered a knee strain in Game 4 that shouldn’t force him to miss any time, though he hasn’t played well for the majority of the series.

James Harden is averaging 29.5 points on 45.6 percent shooting in the Western Conference Finals. He’s scored more than 40 points in three of Houston’s eight home playoff games.

Golden State remains favored to win the series, as well as the heavy favorite to win the 2018 NBA Finals.