The Houston Rockets fell to a 115113 loss to the Golden State Warriors last night, despite the Warriors being without stars Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. Butler is out for the season after suffering an ACL tear, while Curry is nursing a knee injury with an unclear return date for later this season. Meanwhile, the Warriors have been able to stay afloat in the Western Conference with a 32-20 record on the season, occupying the No. 8 seed at the moment.
Every win counts as the Warriors hope to make up a five-game deficit to the No. 6 seed without their two best players on the court. Their win against the Rockets saw big nights from Brandin Podziemski (26 PTS, 9 REB, 10-18 FG) and De’Anthony Melton (23 PTS, 6 REB), helping them keep pace with the West.
However, Rockets forward Tari Eason shared an observation he made after the game that left many stunned. During a post-game interview, Eason bluntly stated the Warriors are better without Curry and Butler in the lineup, claiming that the Rockets ‘own’ the Warriors when the two are healthy.
“They played tough. To be honest, they play better without Curry and Butler. If those two guys are playing, we easily win by 20, period. We own those guys and the tape shows it, if you know basketball.”
There’s a lot to unpack here. The Warriors, led by Curry, ended Eason’s Playoff hopes in 2024 when Houston made a late charge for the Play-In Tournament, but finished behind the Warriors for the 11th seed after crucial head-to-head losses late in the season. They also eliminated Eason’s Rockets from the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs in a seven-game thriller. Eason’s career record against Golden State stands at two wins to six losses (5-10 with Playoffs included).
The forward, who’s averaging 11.4 points and 6.3 rebounds this season, is a promising wing talent for Houston. This is definitely an ill-advised statement for a player on the Rockets when they know the pain Curry’s Warriors have caused over the years. Their Playoff series record over the last 10 years tells the entire story (5-0), so to make such comments at the outset of the Warriors’ dynasty is cavalier.
Curry has a 3-2 record against Eason, while Butler lost in the one game he’s played against Eason’s Rockets since joining in February 2025. Curry averaged 23.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 8.6 assists in those five games, while Eason has averaged 13.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.8 steals. Butler put up 13 points, five rebounds, and three assists in his sole encounter as a Warrior against Eason on the Rockets.
Eason has gone 0-3 against the Warriors when Curry is not in the lineup, so it makes sense why he thinks they’re better without them. But to say that he and the Rockets ‘own’ the Warriors with Curry is a ludicrous statement.
The Warriors are 9-14 without Curry this season, so it’s clear they need him on the court to be a viable Playoff threat. Golden State is also awaiting the return of Kristaps Porzingis to the lineup, but the Latvian big man continues to miss time with a mysterious illness. While there is potential to be extracted from the Curry-Porzingis-led Warriors, it’s hard to imagine them being title contenders at any point this season.
The Rockets, on the other hand, are hoping to be title contenders with Kevin Durant on their roster. They’re 38-23 this season as the no. 4 seed in the West. They’ll hope to rebound from this loss to the Warriors on a back-to-back tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers at 8:00 PM.
The Warriors will be in action next against the reigning champions OKC Thunder on Saturday, with Curry expected to remain sidelined.
