The Houston Rockets had the perfect setup heading into Game 6.

All of the playoff losses to the Golden State Warriors in the past, the 2018 Western Conference finals defeat and the 27 consecutive missed 3-pointers in last year's Game 7 all could have been washed away if they could just win Games 6 and 7 this time around.

I mean, how could you write a better narrative? Kevin Durant suffered a right calf strain injury in Game 5 and had been ruled out for Games 6 and 7. The Warriors had a 3-2 series lead heading into Toyota Center for Game 6 -- the same exact role the Rockets were in before they blew a 3-2 series lead following Chris Paul's injury at the end of Game 5 in last year's Western Conference finals.

It was the chance for redemption, for revenge and the Rockets ... blew it.

In a game that they were favored by 7.5 points, a game that most expected them to win to force a Game 7 at Oracle Arena, they lost, 118-113.

I mean, the score was close throughout. It's not like the Rockets were humiliated or vastly outplayed in their elimination game. But how could you lose at home to a team missing their best player, combined with the fact that Stephen Curry scored zero points in the first half?

Curry went 0-for-5 from the field and 0-for-2 from 3-point range during the first 24 minutes of the game. You would think that the Rockets would carry that into a massive lead heading into halftime. Except here's the problem -- they didn't. They entered the break at a 57-all tie, and you would have thought that it was the Warriors -- and not the Rockets -- who were facing an elimination game.

As most of you witnessed, Curry would explode for one of the greatest second-half performances in playoff history, scoring 33 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field and 4-of-9 from 3-point range to put an end to the Rockets' season.

But it didn't just put an end to Houston's season -- it put an end to their window of beating the Warriors in the postseason.

Houston has now lost all four of their postseason series to Golden State in the past five years. James Harden won't replicate the season that he had this year, and it was clear despite his Game 6 performance that Chris Paul is on the decline. It also became evident that even without Durant and DeMarcus Cousins, the Warriors are still a better team than the Rockets -- the most discouraging sign of them all for Houston.

Making matters even more worse is the fact that Harden and Paul actually had really solid games. The reigning NBA MVP posted 35 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Meanwhile, Paul -- who had struggled during this entire series -- contributed 27 points, 11 rebounds and six assists on 11-of-19 from the field.

The bottom line is this: The Rockets had all of the cards fall into the right place, and they still couldn't beat a shorthanded Warriors squad with their best punch. What makes you think that next postseason will be any different?

Houston does not have the cap space to make major moves in the offseason. Their roster was worse this year compared to their squad from last year and their second-best player, Paul, is on the clear decline. Who do the Rockets find via free agency or trade to provide as a complementary player to Harden with Paul on the way down? There is no easy answer, because there might not be an answer at all.

Something that also might not get the attention it deserves as we focus so much of our attention on the Warriors' greatness and yet another postseason defeat for the Rockets is the coaching of Mike D'Antoni. This is a guy who has coached many strong playoff teams since 2004-05 and has yet to lead a team to the NBA Finals.

He has coached 15 NBA seasons, been to the playoffs 10 times and hasn't been to a single Finals series.

Do you think that this is a coincidence? It's not. This is the case of a good head coach who isn't a great head coach because he fails to adapt and make the adjustments needed in order to thrive and survive in the postseason.

How many times are the Rockets going to continually isolate and settle for difficult shots? That works during the regular season -- it doesn't work against a great team like the Warriors if you're looking to come away with a victory. It's the reason why despite the fact that all six of these games came down to the wire, four of them were won by the Warriors.

Why?

Golden State's offense creates easy looks for its players, while Houston's offense simply does not.

It's a case of Steve Kerr simply being a better coach than D'Antoni.

Kerr has perfected the idea of adapting and adjusting. He did this at the end of Game 5 without Durant and by inserting Kevon Looney and Andre Iguodala to close out that win. He did this in Game 6 by maximizing his bench and role players and allowing Looney, Shaun Livingston and Iguodala (17 points in Game 6) to play pivotal roles in the victory.

It's also why despite the fact that Curry scored zero points in the first half, the game was tied at halftime -- because other Warriors players were scoring.

Can you imagine a scenario where the Rockets would lead if Harden wasn't scoring at will? No, you can't. Because it's simply not possible because the offense is predicated upon one player (two if you count Paul) carrying the team.

The Rockets will head into the offseason demoralized. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. I'm sure Houston will hope that Golden State's dynasty comes to a crashing halt with Durant possibly leaving via free agency.

But it's silly to even have that optimistic outlook because the Rockets are on the decline -- in other words, their window is closed. The Rockets had numerous opportunities to thwart the Warriors' dynasty over the past two years -- and they failed.

That will be their legacy.