The Chase for Five: Warriors Begin Playoff Run Against Rising Rockets

Golden State opens their playoff run against a young, defensive-minded Rockets team, with legacy and a fifth title hanging in the balance.

This is it, the chase for a fifth ring has brought the Golden State Warriors back to the NBA Playoffs again. Some people call them old, some people call them experienced, but no matter how you describe them, it’s impossible to argue that this team isn’t one of the most riveting stories going right now.

Golden State had a rough final stretch, but managed to quickly escape the play-in tournament after a scary drop to the 7th seed to end the regular season. If they can get through the first round, they’ll be up against whoever emerged from the Lakers and Timberwolves series. This isn’t the same Houston Rockets team that James Harden led all those years ago. A younger core that focuses more on their defensive identity than hoisting threes, this Houston team will present a different flavor of challenge.

Golden State is a bit banged up, but will be entering with a clean bill of health as they face off against the Rockets for a fifth time in the modern era. Fitting that the chase for number five goes through a deeply changed Rockets franchise. One for the thumb. A fifth ring for posterity.

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GAME DETAILS

WHO: Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets

series tied 0-0

WHEN: Sunday, April 20th, 2025: 6:30pm PDT

WATCH: TNT

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A long strange trip

This has been a weird season. After Klay Thompson’s departure, it was unclear how well this team could recover. A strong 12-3 start was curtailed by the unfortunate injury to De’Anthony Melton. Then a series of injuries and rotation troubles seemed to put the team on their heels. First little injuries to Curry and Green, then Kuminga’s big ankle injury - but it all conspired to introduce uncertainty into assessment of exactly how good this team really was.

Since the acquisition of Jimmy Butler, things have been different. Sure, the swagger is back, but more importantly, the team has been on a tear. With Jimmy Butler in the mix, Golden State has a much higher floor and ceiling, but they’re still going to have to get past a Rockets team that earned the second best record in the Western Conference.

The big question is how well the Rockets will be able to contain Stephen Curry. Their hounding, overly physical defense really bothered Curry the last time these teams faced off, and as we’ve seen before, some of these “gimmicky” defenses that overemphasize taking away Curry have proven to be effective against the Warriors.

Playoff Jimmy is one of the easiest answers, and I expect that he’ll be extremely aggressive at attacking the defense. A problem here though is that the Rockets aren’t just fake hustle. This is a very good defense without any clear weak spots to spam attacks against. It will be interesting to see what Kerr and the coaching staff do about Kuminga - who didn’t see the court in the play-in tournament, and has been struggling to find his place in the post-Butler Warriors. Kerr’s recent quotes didn’t assuage any concerns here; it still sounds far from certain that Kuminga will see any significant court time against the Rockets team;

"The puzzle has to fit. We found a really good formula when JK was injured and we got Jimmy, I think we went 18-2 or something right away. So we found lineup combinations that have clicked, and we're winning and we have to stick with that. It's brutal for JK, it really is. He's a young player, he wants to play and he's absolutely talented enough to play. He still may be a part of the equation in this series and maybe the next series after that. So we just have to keep plugging away and keep moving forward and he's doing a good job of that, and I definitely feel for him."

Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in 47 appearances

Earlier this month, the Rockets came into Chase Center and won by 10 points - holding Curry to just three points in the process. Obviously, the Warriors will make some basic adjustments to free their star up, but part of the plan will certainly also include some of the next generation of scorers: Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, and Quintin Post. If the bench and ancillary players can force the Rocket’s hand, it will be a huge swing. Historically, the Warriors have had troubles showing up big when Curry doesn’t; but maybe this current mix is a little bit different.

This series won’t be easy, and it’s definitely not the same old Rockets team. But that’s kind of the point. The Warriors aren’t the same either. It’s been a long, strange season to get here, and whether it’s Jimmy, Steph, or someone unexpected stepping up, this group has a real shot to make some noise. The chase for five rolls on — and if history’s any guide, you never count this team out when the lights get brightest.

Prediction

Split the road opener. Warriors in 6.