The Houston Rockets opened their first-round Western Conference playoff series in cowardly fashion. That ship seems to have sailed as they lost 95-85 at home to the Golden State Warriors in Game 1. The Rockets lost a frustrating game, scoring the least amount of points in a playoff game since their Game 3 loss in the 2018 Western Conference finals. Regardless, this performance should cast serious doubt on their scoring potential further down the postseason bracket.
It was a pretty tough Game 2 for the Rockets as the Warriors had established a stiff joint 23-point lead inside the third quarter. Houston demonstrated resilience, gradually cutting down the deficit to just four points with 2:38 remaining on the clock. Though Houston made a game-tying push with under two minutes to play, they fell short, losing to the Warriors.
Fred VanVleet hit 26 points to lead Houston. Sadly, his record-breaking race would not be enough to earn him a win. Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith each chipped in 11 points, but the performance from the collective was well below par.
Houston was a mess on the offensive end, and especially in transition. The Rockets converted only 2 of their 7 attempts, a stark contrast to their regular-season average of 17.0 fast break points per game. That wasted opportunity hurt them even more when the Warriors turned them into a 16-4 advantage in fast break points.
Offensively, the Rockets couldn’t find a rhythm, hitting only 39.1% of their field goal attempts. This shooting performance is their lowest shooting percentage in a playoff game since 2019. Their three-point shooting was downright abysmal in this game. With only 6 made threes on 29 attempts, it was a far cry from their regular season—the top three-point shooting team in the NCAA Tournament.
On the defensive side, the Rockets put forth a tremendous effort but it wasn’t enough to make up for what they lacked on offense. Coach Ime Udoka commented, “If you hold someone to 95 points, you’d expect to win if you have a decent offensive night.” He apologized that despite the defense shining, the team lost due to an offense that just shut down.
“Some guys did struggle offensively — you’re not gonna overreact to one game,” – Ime Udoka
By now Houston’s chances were already on the ropes, but their 17 turnovers that turned into 25 points for the Warriors didn’t help matters at all. Notably, Jalen Green and VanVleet’s struggles on offense were evident, as they became the third starting backcourt since 2000 to each shoot 25% or worse with a minimum of 15 attempts in the same playoff game.
Green reflected on the need for improvement, stating, “I’m not too worried about it. I got a taste of what it was, and I’ve just got to answer back… We’re doing our job defensively. We’ve just got to score the ball, and we can’t leave [Alperen Sengun] out there by himself just to score the ball.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said his team’s defensive strategy was the right approach to use against the Rockets. He remarked, “They are not a typical modern NBA team in terms of spreading you out, playing fast, shooting a million threes.” The physicality and aggressive approach of the Warriors’ defense limited Houston’s scoring opportunities.
Even after that blow to begin the series, Udoka still believed his team could compete in the series. He focused on the opportunities for growth and improvement and promised he wouldn’t be too reactionary after this first defeat.
“But if guys do play better, we have a chance there. 10-point loss and like I said, holding somebody to 95; it was an offensively poor showing. The defense was good enough,” – Ime Udoka
As the series continues, these are major offensive issues the Rockets need to address. In order to stay competitive with the Warriors, they’ll need to keep their all-time great defense intact. The USWNT will have to refocus quickly ahead of Game 2. They do need to tie up this series and regain momentum in this very young playoff journey.
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