The Golden State Warriors couldn’t follow through on their 3-1 first-round lead over the Houston Rockets and win Game 5, falling to a 131-116 loss at the hands of the No. 2 seed. This was a must-win for the Rockets, and they played with the necessary hunger to ensure their season stays alive.
The Rockets have been defensive specialists all season, but the Warriors have found ways to consistently score enough to edge out the Rockets for a win. The story was different in Game 5, as the Rockets’ defenders did one of the greatest jobs we’ve seen in modern Playoff history.
The Rockets held the Warriors’ starters to just 40 points among five players, the lowest number of points ever scored by a starting unit in Playoff history.
The Warrior starters only scored 40 points tonight, which is the fewest by a team in playoff history 😳
– Steph Curry: 13 points
– Jimmy Butler: 8 points
– Brandin Podziemski: 8 points
– Buddy Hield: 4 points
– Draymond Green: 7 points pic.twitter.com/eRVZsfj0F7
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 1, 2025
Stephen Curry was held to just 13 points (4-12 FG), ending the night as their highest-scoring starter. Brandin Podziemski (3-7 FG) and Jimmy Butler (2-10 FG) both managed to score just eight points, while Draymond Green put up seven points (3-4 FG). With the Warriors scoring 36 points through these four, Buddy Hield made it a crisp 40 points for the starting unit with his own four-point (2-6 FG) explosion.
They scored 116 points as a team because Moses Moody came off the bench to score 25 points (9-18 FG), with double-digit outings from Kevin Knox II (14 PTS, 5-13 FG) and Pat Spencer (11 PTS, 5-7 FG) as well.
The Warriors’ starters had nothing they could do to change their fortunes offensively in the face of very aggressive defense. Amen Thompson had one of the best defensive performances we’ve seen in the Playoffs this season, with five aggressive steals that he notched in just 12 minutes of action from his total 34 minutes.
Houston’s starters were cooking on offense, led by Fred VanVleet’s 26 points (8-13 FG). Amen scored 25 points (8-12 FG) alongside his defense, while Dillon Brooks caught fire for 24 points (7-13 FG). These three points would have been enough, but Alperen Sengun’s 15 points (6-9 FG) with nine rebounds and nine assists were also integral for this win.
This was a much-needed win for the Rockets, who will have to win one game on the road to force a Game 7. Their next clash will be in Golden State’s Chase Center, with the home crowd determined to send their squad onto the second round. Holding Curry to just 13 points or Butler to eight aren’t likely outcomes again, especially when they’re in front of their home fans.
The future is undecided, but what we do know right now is that the Warriors might have just put together the worst starting five in NBA history as far as it comes to scoring.
