In defeat, Rockets expose Warriors’ vulnerability

HOUSTON — Late Monday night, after escaping Toyota Center with a Game 7 win over the Rockets in the Western Conference finals, the Warriors' celebration was decidedly tame. Instead of reveling in their fourth straight NBA Finals berth, most players voiced relief for having survived their biggest scare since Kevin Durant arrived 22 months ago. In outlasting Houston in a seven-game gantlet, Golden State shed its air of invincibility, showing that it is, in fact, beatable. Along the way, the Rockets cemented their status as the biggest threat to the Warriors' burgeoning dynasty.