The Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors are finally going to match up in an NBA playoff series. These five keys could decide who goes to the Finals.

All season long, basketball fans have hoped that the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors would meet at some point in the NBA Playoffs. With the Western Conference Finals approaching, they’re getting their wish.

The Warriors being the reigning champions and the closest thing to a dynasty the league has seem in some time means they’re currently favored, but Houston is probably the biggest threat that Golden State has faced off with in the West since this epic run began. There is a real chance the top dog finally gets knocked off.

As in every series, and even every game, there are key factors that will decide the result. In this case, seeing which star guards show up will be huge, as will seeing if the Rockets can really hang with the Warriors’ best selves. After all, it’s clear to everybody who watched Golden State both in the regular season and the postseason that the Dubs did not care much about the first 82 games.

The playoffs are a different animal. The Warriors know this Rockets team is engineered just to topple them, and that might result in the most energized Golden State series we’ve seen in a long time. These five keys will decide if they stay on top of the West, or if a new NBA Finals team emerges for the first time since 2015.