HOUSTON — The last time the Warriors had a 3-1 series lead on the road was in 2022 at Memphis. They lost that Game 5 by 39 points, getting played off the court by the Grizzlies’ “Whoop That Trick” hype song.
This time, holding the same series lead, against a similarly feisty team with Dillon Brooks, Golden State got pummeled by 15 points in a game that was never that close.
“Yeah, I didn’t have them ready to play, clearly,” Steve Kerr said postgame. “Committed three fouls in the first two minutes of the game, think they were 13-for-13 at the line in the first quarter — we can’t come out with that lack of defensive focus and energy and expect to beat a great team on their own floor in a closeout game.”
A 3-1 lead in a series, especially without home-court advantage, can be dangerous. And although the Warriors remain in the driver’s seat, another speed bump would be perilous.
The Rockets, playing with their season on the line, destroyed the Warriors from the opening tip in a 131-116 win. The Warriors fell behind by as much as 31 before shutting down their regular rotation players halfway through the third quarter. Their next shot to eliminate the Rockets is Game 6 on Friday night at Chase Center.
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In the fourth quarter, Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green watched their reserves put together a stunning 25-7 run, creating a nervous energy in the Toyota Center. The comeback was so threatening that Rockets head coach Ime Udoka inserted his starters back in the game as Kerr rode with the hustling bench players.
Shortly after the Warriors cut the Rockets’ lead from 29 to 13, Pat Spencer was ejected for head-butting Alperen Şengün. If there was ever going to be a miracle, it ended there.
Heading into Game 5, the Warriors knew Houston would have its best shot ready. The Rockets faced a win-or-go-home situation, and were going to play with the urgency to meet that circumstance. It’s only human nature.
“They’re always the hardest one,” Kerr said of closeout games after taking the 3-1 lead.
The Rockets lived up to Golden State’s expectation. They started the game swarming, and went on a 26-5 first quarter run while forcing four Warriors turnovers. By pushing the pace, Houston put the Warriors defense into rotation.
They also drew five fouls in the first four minutes — earning the bonus for the entire quarter — and hit their free throws. Houston made its first 13 free throws after shooting 63% at the line in the first four games of the series.
Houston led by 16 after one, holding both Curry and Butler scoreless.
Then the Rockets scored the first 18 points of the second quarter, officially pushing the game into blowout territory. Their zone befuddled the Warriors, forcing poor, end-of-clock 3s from subpar outside shooters. Houston didn’t do anything different strategically, but was able to set its defense after makes far more often. Golden State turned it over nine times in the first 15 minutes, gifting Houston transition opportunities.
The Rockets shot 69% from the floor and hit nine 3s to take a 76-49 lead into halftime. Brooks banked in a three and Amen Thompson stripped Curry for an and-1 jam in transition; that was one of Thompson’s five first-half steals.
Houston’s previous scoring high in a quarter this series was 32. The Rockets dropped 40 in the first quarter and 36 in the second.
Thompson kept wrecking the game despite Houston calling no plays for him, as he shot 8-for-12 from the field and finished with 25 points. With 5:50 left, Kerr emptied his bench with his team down 29. At halftime, he’d discussed with Green about how they shouldn’t chase the 30-point deficit, and the power forward asked for five or six minutes to make a run before pulling the plug.
The run never materialized, giving the Warriors’ brain trust a quarter to mull over what’s next from the bench.
“We turn the page quick,” Green said. “Just started talking about possible adjustments that we can make, things we see, stuff we can get into. But yeah, we flip the page really fast.”
The Warriors’ reserves created some drama, but not enough for Kerr to bring his best players back into the game.
“Inspiring to get us back in the game, give us a chance at something special,” Butler said. “Kudos to those guys for staying ready, for fighting, for not giving up and always staying ready.”
As Kerr routinely points out, every game is different — even in a series against the same opponent. A solution one night can be ineffective the next.
But in Game 6, the Warriors will have to find answers for the Rockets’ zone. They’ll have to take care of the ball, like they did in the first four games, to keep Houston out of transition. They’ll have to defend without fouling and get the type of production out of Curry and Butler they’ve so often generated.
But for one night, history from three years ago just about repeated itself.
“They weren’t playing ‘Whoop that Trick,’ but they may as well have been,” Green said.