1 day Ago By Bergas Agung, NBA Analysis Network
The Golden State Warriors suffered a devastating 131-116 defeat at the hands of the Houston Rockets in Game 5 of their playoff series. The Warriors looked completely out of sorts, shooting a poor 41.7% from the field while committing 14 turnovers throughout the contest.
Golden State’s star duo of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler combined for just 21 points on a miserable 6-of-22 shooting night. The 27-point halftime deficit brings back championship memories Houston’s zone defense completely stifled the Warriors’ offense, leading to a lopsided 76-49 halftime score. The situation grew so dire that coach Steve Kerr pulled his starters midway through the third quarter as the game slipped further out of reach.
Interestingly, this blowout has sparked comparisons to Golden State’s 2022 championship run. During that year’s Conference Semifinals, the Warriors also suffered a brutal Game 5 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies , falling behind by the exact same 27-point halftime margin in a 134-95 defeat. ‘We definitely found something in our bench‘ – Silver linings amid disaster The parallels don’t end there.
Like the current Rockets squad , those Grizzlies were also the second seed featuring a young, physical, and energetic roster that gave Golden State fits. Warriors in 2022 lost game 5 to a young 2 seed grizzlies team in Memphis Warriors in 2025 doing the exact same thing tonight Warriors in 6 pic.twitter.
com/11LnxVcr0b While most fans criticized the Warriors’ starting unit for their collective poor performance, many praised the bench players who managed to reduce the deficit during the fourth quarter. “We definitely found something in our bench,” one fan commented, finding a silver lining in the blowout loss. Moody got to be the guy and get some rhythm.
We definitely found something in our bench. Give some of those guys minutes when Steph is off the court. Specifically Pat Spencer and Kevin Knox.
Also don’t ever play Braxton Key ever again like literally ever. Can the Warriors solve Houston’s zone before it’s too late? Despite the embarrassing defeat, Golden State still leads the series 3-2 as they return to San Francisco for Game 6 with another opportunity to advance. However, the Warriors face urgent adjustments on both ends of the floor.
They’ll need to crack Houston’s stifling zone defense while addressing their own defensive issues after allowing the Rockets to shoot 55.1% from the field and 43% from three-point range. With momentum shifting and memories of their 2022 path to glory providing both warning and comfort, the Warriors find themselves at a critical juncture in their championship pursuit.
This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission..
