Game 5 between the hated Golden State Warriors and the underdog Houston Rockets is the most important game, and this is the most important series since the 2016 NBA Finals.

Not often does a 2nd round playoff series produce the intensity of an NBA Finals. This year its happened, producing the most pivotal series of this postseason. There’s seven future Hall of Famers (Curry, KD, Klay, Kerr, D’Antoni, Harden, and Paul), a team trying to 3-peat, and a team that has been the runner up to this dynasty for its whole existence. The winner of this series will win the West, and they might even win the Finals. The whole NBA landscape will change depending on this series.

James Harden & Chris Paul need this series the most. This could be Paul’s last real shot at a championship, as he’s 34 and becoming more of an X-factor than the superstar he used to be. If Paul hadn’t injured his hamstring last year, the Rockets probably would’ve beaten Golden State. Harden has been carrying Houston since his arrival in 2012. He’s put in back to back MVP campaigns, and if the Rockets can win this series, it will further cement his Hall of Fame legacy.

The Warriors have won three of the past four championships, and they have absolutely dominated the NBA during this dynasty. Since KD signed with them in 2016, they’ve run through the league. But with Klay and KD heading into free agency, you have to wonder: Is this the last time we will see these Warriors?

When Kevin Durant made his infamous decision in 2016, people hated him because he was taking the easy way out. He had just signed with a team coming off a 73 win season, and the Warriors had just come back from down 3-1 against Durant’s Thunder. Without Durant now, the Warriors wouldn’t be this unstoppable force. Durant has been carrying the Warriors through the playoffs, as Klay and Steph have lost their shot, and as Demarcus Cousins went down with a potential season ending injury.

So, what if Kevin Durant leaves this offseason? He could try and become one of the most loved players again after being so vehemently hated. Any team in the NBA would welcome Durant with open doors, but reports say he’s most interested in the Knicks and Clippers. If he leaves, I hope he joins the Clippers, because they have lots of potential.

It’s far more likely that Klay Thompson sticks around than Durant. If Bob Myers offers Klay the max, he’s staying. If not, he could leave and try to be the second option on a championship team. However, that’s the situation Klay is in right now. There is seemingly no reason he should leave unless he’s bored of winning and bored of playing with two of the top five players in basketball.

If the Warriors win the Finals, I think its more likely Durant leaves, as he would have nothing left to prove if he won elsewhere without the help of the only unanimous MVP ever.

Whoever wins this pivotal Game 5 will most likely win the series. 82% of the time a series is tied 2-2, the team that wins Game 5 wins the series.

The Warriors and the Rockets hate each other. These two teams have been preparing for this playoff series since October. Draymond and James Harden constantly flop in order to draw calls, Kevin Durant averages 40 points a game, and Steph Curry misses wide open dunks. Golden State can finish off their run as the best NBA team of all time, while the Rockets can finally break through and get past their hated rivals. If they can pull it off, they’ll just have to take care of business against the Nuggets to reach their first championship since 1995. What could be better?