4 historical Rockets' moments we wish were April Fool's jokes

2. Chris Paul's hamstring injury in the Western Conference Finals

Although there were skeptics regarding the Rockets' backcourt pairing in 2017, the Rockets erased all doubt, en route to a franchise-record 65 wins. This gave the Rockets the best record in the NBA for the first time in franchise history, birthing optimism to a championship-deprived fanbase.

The Golden State Warriors had been a thorn in the side for the Rockets, having eliminated them from postseason play in two of the previous three seasons. The Rockets knew they'd have to get past the Dubs, who finished with the second-best record in the West, behind only the Rockets. 

Unsurprisingly, the two teams sparred in the Western Conference Finals, which many viewed to likely be a better duel than the NBA Finals would shape up to be, due to the inferiority of the Eastern Conference at the time. After a 2-2 tie, the Rockets found themselves up 95-94 with roughly a minute of play in Game 5, when Paul (who averaged 18.6 points and 7.9 assists in his first season with the Rockets) sustained a fateful hamstring injury upon landing from a floater.

Although the Rockets won the battle, sealing Game 5, they ultimately lost the war, as Paul was ruled out for the remainder of the series, which ended in defeat for the Rockets.

There will always be uncertainty surrounding Chris Paul's hamstring injury during the 2017-18 season, but it's safe to say Rockets fans were unfortunately denied the potential opportunity of witnessing another championship parade.