In what has proven to be a grueling, physical series between the No. 2 seeded Rockets and the No. 7 Warriors, injuries have played at least a subtle role. Houston was not able to take advantage of the pelvic contusion suffered by Golden State star Jimmy Butler in Game 3, a Warriors win, and throughout the series, there has been a running narrative about whether Houston defenders are trying to target the injured thumb of star Stephen Curry. 
Now, heading into the decisive Game 7 between the teams, the NBA has released its official injury update, required to be handed into the league office on the day before a game. And the Warriors have two players listed on the league's injury tally: Stephen Curry and Gary Payton II.
Curry has the aforementioned right thumb injury, first suffered in January but aggravated just before the playoffs began. Payton, too, has a thumb problem, on his left hand.
Both are expected to play, though, and are listed as "available" on the league report.
Last time out, the Warriors lost, 115-107, on their home floor in a game Golden State seemed to be fighting upstream throughout. The Warriors committed 17 turnovers in the game.
"I didn't like our first half with the turnovers. I think we had 10," coach Steve Kerr said. "That's the key to the whole series, is our ball security. The 10 turnovers in the first half got us off to a rough start.
"With that said, we're down two going into the fourth. ... The three wins in the series we were averaging 10 or 11 turnovers. We're in a rush. We got to slow down a little bit."
Kerr is right. In the Warriors' three losses, they have tallied 46 turnovers. In the three wins, they have just 34 turnovers.
Game 7 will be played on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET in Houston. The winner will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the conference semis.
