The set-up: The Golden State Warriors found the form that made them NBA champions in the second half on Saturday in Game 6 and used it to run away with a 115-86 win and force a Game 7 in the Western Conference finals. The Rockets jumped out to a 39-22 lead after the first quarter and held a 61-51 edge at the break, but the Warriors held them to 25 points in the second half in the 29-point win. Thompson led the way with 35 points (9 of 14 on threes), while Curry added 29. "We'd like to get off to a better start," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "But we like -- we like our formula. We like our defense against these guys, and we feel confident that we can carry this through to Game 7 on the road and continue to make things as difficult as possible on Houston without fouling." Houston claims it is confident heading home, despite the beating it took in the second half on Saturday and the uncertainty surrounding the health of PG Chris Paul. "If you asked us when we were in the Bahamas this summer, this team together, you know, Western Conference Finals, Game 7 to go to the finals against the Warriors, we'll take that," Rockets star James Harden told reporters. "So, nothing changes for us. We know what we have to do."

Golden State: Thompson was terrific in Game 6 (see above). "I feel like we're the best team in the world and most fun team in the world to watch when we're pushing that ball, getting defensive stops and making plays," Thompson told reporters. "We've got too much talent not just to hit singles like coach always says. Trust the next man ahead of us. It will end up working in our favor most of the time." Thompson added four steals to his performance and his teammates credited his work on Harden at the defensive end for sparking the offense. However, KD (the team's top scorer in the playoffs at 28.7 PPG), made just 6 of 17 from the floor. PF Draymond Green scored only four points but he collected 10 rebounds, nine assists, five blocks and four steals in Game 6. Golden State has survived without veteran swingman Andre Iguodala, who has missed the last three games of the series and is questionable for the finale with a left lateral leg contusion. Center Kevon Looney (sore left toe) is also questionable, but the Warriors have gotten little out of him, as he's averaging 4.0 & 5.3 in the three games Iguodala has missed.

Houston: Paul sat out Game 6 with a hamstring injury suffered in the final minute of Game 5 and remains uncertain for Game 7. Houston committed 21 turnovers without their point guard on the floor in Game 6, including nine by Harden, who finished with 32 points and nine assists but continued a trend of poor shooting from beyond the arc with a 4-of-12 effort. After scoring 41 points in a Game 1 loss in which he made 5 of 9 three-pointers, Harden is 10 of 56 (17.9%) on threes the last five games of this series. It's been feast or famine this series for starting forwards Ariza and Tucker, plus much of the same for reserve guard Gordon. However, those three will need to come up big tonight, for Houston to win. Team doctors will re-evaluate Paul on Monday, with the decision on his availability to be determined by tipoff.

The pick: The Warriors have never lacked confidence in this series, even while falling into a 3-2 deficit. However, their decisive victory in Game 6 served to reinforce the reality of what happens when they are at their best. Golden State shot 49.4 percent from the floor, including 16 of 38 on three-pointers in Game 6, while producing 26 assists on 43 field goals,. That's the kind of play the Warriors have shown these last few years, running roughshod over the NBA. For the Rockets to win (I think that's possible), they will need to outscore the Warriors. After four straight "umders" in this series, I say make the Over a 10* play in Game 7.