With a chance to close out their first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets instead delivered a playoff flop to end their season.

Golden State initially held a 3-1 lead but has since lost two straight to Houston, shifting momentum to the home side. It's the second Game 7 between the two squads: They also faced off in a Game 7 in the 2018 Western Conference finals. The Rockets lost that matchup after famously missing 27 straight 3-pointers.

The postgame scene was a mixture of pride, disappointment and looking ahead after the Rockets' first playoff appearance since 2020 ended in a Game 7 loss.