2025 NBA PLAYOFFS West First Round: #2 Houston Rockets vs #7 Golden State Warriors (GSW leads 3-1)

[michaelm]

Still feel like the league wanted Butler in golden state.

Now we get to watch another year of yet another contrived golden state team make it far in the playoffs

Most manufactured franchise in professional sports post 2010.

So they changed the luxury tax/apron etc rules after GSW won the title in 2022 just to secretly help them ?.

[knicksfan974]

That Brooks foul on a Butler three killed the Rockets. Just a dumb play, and completely unnecessary. I believe the Rockets still a have a decent shot in the series, but they have to play smarter than that.

[Ducklett]

Rockets and Magic are in the same place in a lot of ways. The Celtics had more wins in the playoffs last year than the Magic core has games played in the playoffs. Imagine the amount of playoff games between Curry, Butler, and Green... christ it isn't even close.

[firedavidkahn]

Kudos to Houston for even making it this thus but that team reminds so much of the Hawks team that won 60+ games about a decade ago. Full of really good role players but no one that was clearly elite that can take over. In the play offs you need people who can take over.

Maybe Amen can grow into that but they just aren't ready yet. Bright future but ya

[MasterIchiro]

Jesus, people have been suggestive of Houston being a title contender all year long.

Their build is off.

They need a consolidation move.

I still don't understand why they punted the deadline when they definitely lack a top scoring option who can take over a playoff game like Butler.

They kept banging the table about how they love their roster and want to keep everybody.

[Ice Man]

I mean, it's Dillon Brooks. He can help you to get from Point A to Point B. But you if you want to be a real contender, you need smarter players than that.

[firedavidkahn]

Jesus, people have been suggestive of Houston being a title contender all year long.

Their build is off.

They need a consolidation move.

I still don't understand why they punted the deadline when they definitely lack a top scoring option who can take over a playoff game like Butler.

They kept banging the table about how they love their roster and want to keep everybody.

They would actually be a very good candidate to get Durant. The whole team can do all the dirty work and he just needs to focus on scoring and that's it. Not a long term fix but definitely helps them out for a couple years.

[Exp0sed]

all the Houston naysayers were correct. I thought the Dubs wouldn't be able to overcome the rebounding, size, youth and depth chasm in this series. I was wrong, very wrong

[ejftw]

Nothing better than seeing the despicable, character less **** missing a game winning opportunity

But Draymond didn’t miss?

True, he caused the miss

[Bergmaniac]

Jesus, people have been suggestive of Houston being a title contender all year long.
.

I don't recall this at all, pretty much all serious analysts doubted their playoff credentials due to their mediocre halfcourt offense and they have been proven right, it's very hard to win in the playoffs when your halfcourt offense is such a struggle and you don't have an elite go to guy. When your top scorer is Jalen Green, you are just not a title contender no matter how good our D is.

[MasterIchiro]

Jesus, people have been suggestive of Houston being a title contender all year long.
.

I don't recall this at all, pretty much all serious analysts doubted their playoff credentials due to their mediocre halfcourt offense and they have been proven right, it's very hard to win in the playoffs when your halfcourt offense is such a struggle and you don't have an elite go to guy. When your top scorer is Jalen Green, you are just not a title contender no matter how good our D is.

Maybe the analysts had it right but RealGM hyped the Rockets, and there were trade deadline reports about Houston preferring to stick with their young players at the deadline.

Well they see what they have now.

They're most likely to cash in some equity for an established go-to scorer. They are rumored to prefer Booker over Durant, which makes sense to me given their youth/timeline.

[Impuniti]

Still feel like the league wanted Butler in golden state.

Now we get to watch another year of yet another contrived golden state team make it far in the playoffs

Most manufactured franchise in professional sports post 2010.

Those tears are scrumptious

[Impuniti]

Still feel like the league wanted Butler in golden state.

Now we get to watch another year of yet another contrived golden state team make it far in the playoffs

Most manufactured franchise in professional sports post 2010.

So they changed the luxury tax/apron etc rules after GSW won the title in 2022 just to secretly help them ?.

They made it harder for the Warriors to make moves and improve their team after they won again, but it was really to help them. If you don't think about, use common sense or any semblance, it makes perfect sense.

[Ice Man]

All the Rockets have to do is hit their free throws and they can win this series.

Well yeah, but the Rockets weren't built to make FTs. The organization favored athleticism over skills, which is why the Rockets were #1 in the regular season in offensive rebounds, #4 in defense, and #30 in FT %.

I mean, this is their weakness, just as the Dubs' weakness is rebounding. Sure, the Rockets are bricking FTs even by their standards, but if they are to lose the series, FT shooting always figured to be one of the reasons why.

[Crunch 99]

At the end of the day, you can be smarter; you can challenge yeah, but touching the offensive player, you are giving a reason for the refs to make a call.

Also, that was Jimmy Butler, who was playing injured and perhaps not much lift; you put your hands up and hope and trust the percentages (32.8% for his career, so yeah i’d take those odds rather than risk a call from the refs)

Yes, that was a dumb move by Brooks. Regarding Butler's lift, he may have moderated his jumping some for the game, but he jumped high and fast for that last rebound with four seconds to go.

[reamily]

They didnt even have a go to guy in the end to win..they just need the move better the ball hit foul shots and justbweather the curry and jimmy storm that they almost overcame..

[Sealab2024]

Said it from the very beginning. Golden State has a closer and Houston does not. I had Warriors in 6 but I wouldn't be surprised if the vets come out, end it in 5 and get themselves some good rest. The suns setting and wolves are starting to howl in the distance

[Sealab2024]

But I also don't wanna crap on Houston. Working your tail off all year to secure the #2 seed and getting the Steph and Jimmy Warriors as your reward is nasty, nasty work. Great season for them, there's just more work to be done roster wise.

[Crunch 99]

When the Warriors traded for 35 year old Jimmy, I thought it was going to be a case of a team betting on Jimmy one too many times, and end like the 76ers failed investment in Paul George, but Jimmy continues to prove me wrong. He played well to finish the regular season and now Playoff Jimmy is back for the post season.

[benson13]

I just wonder what's going through the minds of Rockets fans right now. Steph Curry ended the Rockets season four times in five years, and Houston was actually a real contender, if you consider a James Harden led team a contender, during some of them.

Now the Rockets are finally back in the playoffs five years later, and the Steph Curry Warriors are beating them again.