The Houston Rockets stymied the Golden State Warriors’ offense and star Steph Curry in the fourth quarter to win Game 6 Friday night and even their Western Conference first-round playoff series at 3-3.
Houston held an 86-84 lead heading into the fourth quarter and went on a scoring run, taking a 17-point lead late in the period. The Rockets went on to win 115-107.
Advertisement
Golden State entered the night ahead in the series 3-2 and could have closed it out with a win at home at Chase Center on Friday. Instead, the subdued crowd at the arena started to exit before the game’s end as Curry sat on the bench, shaking his head in frustration.
The series returns to Houston for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday. The winner will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round.
Rockets 115, Warriors 107
(Series tied 3-3)
Rockets rise to the occasion
Six games in, the Rockets have seen almost every possible game from the Warriors. They’ve experienced a Curry classic. They’ve witnessed a Jimmy Butler classic. Both Curry and Butler have risen to the occasion and struggled mightily. This team has even succumbed to big nights from role players like Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski.
By Game 6, there were no more surprises for Houston. Friday night was strictly about mind over matter. Which team would emerge victorious in an elimination game: either the Rockets extending their season or the Warriors overpowering with experience?
Fred VanVleet, who once again led Houston with 29 points, has established himself as a playoff riser within this ecosystem, and this team will need the best version of him moving forward.
FVV WITH ANOTHER TRIPLE FOR 27!
Houston with their largest lead of Game 6 👀
HOU/GSW 4Q on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/Ms1DGmo2TG
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2025
But the biggest winner tonight was the Rockets’ ball movement. Golden State’s pressure has been a major component of this series, with its ability to shapeshift between defensive coverages. After Houston’s Game 5 win, coach Ime Udoka said his team had turned a corner, gaining a deep understanding of what the Warriors would throw at them.
Whether it was Jabari Smith Jr. being a “zone breaker” with his size and shooting ability, the physicality in the middle or all-around IQ, the Rockets found success moving the ball from side to side. Houston had 21 assists on 27 made field goals after three quarters, an impressive feat against a team that hoped isolation basketball would be their undoing.
Advertisement
The Rockets withstood the combination of Curry and Butler and led for the majority of the evening. They withstood the hack-an-Adams strategy that forced Udoka’s hand in previous games. Their defense, which held the Warriors without a field goal in over seven fourth-quarter minutes, was once again elite at the biggest stage.
Now, the ultimate Game 7 awaits. Do the Rockets have enough to pull off the infamous 3-1 comeback? If momentum is any indicator, impossible is nothing. — Kelly Iko, Rockets beat writer
12-0 RUN LATE IN GAME 6 FOR HOUSTON!
THEY WANT GAME 7.
📺ESPN pic.twitter.com/X9ds8dFrTk
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2025
What happened to Golden State’s offense?
With their lone chance to close out this first-round series at home against the Rockets, the Warriors missed 14 of their first 15 fourth-quarter shots — a bleak offensive end to a potentially catastrophic loss for an organization trying to compete for one more title before Curry ages out.
Four days ago, the Warriors had complete control of this series. They were up 3-1 with a hobbled Jimmy Butler returning to play Game 4 hero. They then walked into Houston without an urgent mentality, punted away a game and then returned home to get smacked by a younger Rockets team growing in confidence.
Defense had been the Warriors’ strength in this series. That has disappeared. They gave up 28, 33 and 29 points in the final three quarters of Game 6 after only letting the Rockets touch 30 points twice in the first 16 quarters of the series. The Warriors have to figure out their sudden defensive troubles.
But offense is the larger issue. Houston has stymied them with a double big lineup that often shifts into a zone defense. That has led to a bunch of unthreatening perimeter passes, desperate and contested Curry jumpers (he went 9 of 23 on Friday) or open misses from the Warriors’ others, who have gone cold. The non-Curry starters went 3 of 18 from 3 in Game 6.
Advertisement
The Warriors have been here before. Their rich playoff history has put them in almost every scenario. They’ve famously blown a 3-1 lead entirely in the 2016 NBA Finals, but they’ve also lost a 2023 Game 6 to the Sacramento Kings at home and then gone on the road to win Game 7. Curry had 50 points that day.
Curry might need somewhere near a repeat for the Warriors to save this series and season in Houston. — Anthony Slater, Warriors senior writer
(Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Baldasso detona Craque Neto após críticas a Vitão, do Internacional: “Zé Ruela”
Reproduções/Band e YouTube e = Ricardo Duarte/Internacional O duelo entre Corinthians e Internacional ainda não terminou, pelo menos na troca de farpas entre seus representantes. Fabiano Baldasso mandou uma resposta a Craque Neto, depois do ex-camisa 10 ter alfinetado o zagueiro colorado Vitão. O defensor disparou contra a arbitragem depois da derrota por 4 a 2 para o Timão na Neo Química Arena no último sábado (3) pelo Brasileirão Série A. “Sempre vai ser assim, é 11 contra 12 nessa porcaria”, desabafou. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Craque Neto: “Vitão é uma porcaria de jogador” Nos Donos da Bola desta segunda-feira (5), Craque Neto não poupou Vitão, mesmo que tenha reconhecido que o Internacional foi prejudicado pela arbitragem no lance da expulsão do volante Bruno Henrique. “Zagueiro de lado com cintura de ovo. Você que é uma porcaria de jogador”, detonou. O comentarista […]
Knicks stun Celtics in overtime to steal Game 1 of East semis
BOSTON — In the waning seconds of overtime, New York Knicks wing Mikal Bridges ripped a potential game-tying 3-pointer from the hands of Boston Celtics counterpart Jaylen Brown, and the underdogs walked out of TD Garden with a stunning Game 1 victory in their opening-round playoff series, 108-105.The Knicks stormed back from a 20-point, second-half deficit to make a close game of what appeared to be headed for a blowout. Boston's Jayson Tatum (23 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists) and New York's Jalen Brunson (29 points, 5 assists) both missed opportunities to break a 100-100 tie in the waning seconds of regulation, and both missed their mark — Tatum a step-back 3-pointer, Brunson a layup. But OG Anunoby (29 points) and the Knicks outscored the Celtics 8-5 in overtime.Targeting Karl-Anthony TownsFrom the jump, Tatum attacked Karl-Anthony Towns in the pick-and-roll, […]
NHL Mock Draft 2025: Matthew Schaefer to Islanders as we pick for every lottery team
The New York Islanders won the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, jumping nine spots thanks to the lottery Monday, while Utah Hockey Club went from No. 14 to No. 4.With a draft order now known, a collection of our NHL reporters combined for a mock draft of the first 16 picks. This is their best attempt to predict what will happen on draft day based on their knowledge of the teams they cover and what those teams covet in players.The 2025 NHL Draft will take place in Los Angeles on June 27 and 28.1. New York Islanders: Matthew Schaefer, LHD, Erie (OHL)Believe me, when that last ping-pong ball rose up, I had visions of the Islanders selecting Long Island native James Hagens to start their turnaround. It makes too much sense! But with all the turmoil around […]
Knicks complete 20-point comeback to stun Celtics in OT thriller
<!--> The New York Knicks overcame a 20-point third quarter deficit to stun the Boston Celtics in an 108-105 overtime thriller. The Celtics led 72-52 with 6:19 remaining in the third after an Al Horford dunk, but the Knicks closed that quarter on a 23-12 surge to cut the margin to 11. Then they scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter, and eventually tied the game at 86 with 7:21 remaining. The teams traded leads from that point and were knotted at 100 with 53.1 seconds left. Each team had a chance to win it in the final seconds of regulation, but Jayson Tatum missed a fade-away and then Jalen Brunson couldn't convert on a great look at the left side of the basket with 2.1 seconds left. Despite Brunson's miss, the Knicks were able to carry the momentum into the […]
Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz leaves game after hit to head
TORONTO — Anthony Stolarz was removed from the Toronto Maple Leafs goal midway through Monday’s game against the Florida Panthers after briefly being knocked to the ice by a forearm to the head by Sam Bennett.Joseph Woll replaced Stolarz with his team leading 4-1.It wasn’t immediately clear if the Leafs’ starter was removed by the NHL’s concussion spotter. Sam Bennett reintroduces himself to Anthony Stolarz pic.twitter.com/6CYdXQCrFx — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 6, 2025Stolarz had stopped eight of the nine shots he faced when Bennett skated by the edge of his crease and clipped him with his right arm at 7:20 of the second period. The officials blew the play dead.Stolarz remained in the game for another two-plus minutes before heading down the tunnel to the Leafs dressing room during the next stoppage in play at 9:48. He appeared to be laughing by […]
Gregg Popovich is still laughing at himself as he steps back from coaching
SAN ANTONIO — It was easy to see Monday morning that Gregg Popovich, despite ongoing effects of a stroke he suffered in November, remains every bit the same “Coach Pop” who won more games than any coach in NBA history — 1,592.The 76-year-old can still laugh at himself. Those who know the San Antonio Spurs’ legendary coach and executive best understand how important that is to a man who loves a joke, often at his own expense.AdvertisementPopovich’s appearance at a news conference at which the Spurs announced Mitch Johnson would be Popovich’s successor was a surprise to most. After opening remarks from Peter John Holt, the team’s managing partner, Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili escorted Popovich to the podium to address the public for the first time since the stroke. A few moments into the event, Popovich […]
Related
Baldasso detona Craque Neto após críticas a Vitão, do Internacional: “Zé Ruela”
Reproduções/Band e YouTube e = Ricardo Duarte/Internacional O duelo entre Corinthians e Internacional ainda não terminou, pelo menos na troca de farpas entre seus representantes. Fabiano Baldasso mandou uma resposta a Craque Neto, depois do ex-camisa 10 ter alfinetado o zagueiro colorado Vitão. O defensor disparou contra a arbitragem depois da derrota por 4 a 2 para o Timão na Neo Química Arena no último sábado (3) pelo Brasileirão Série A. “Sempre vai ser assim, é 11 contra 12 nessa porcaria”, desabafou. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Craque Neto: “Vitão é uma porcaria de jogador” Nos Donos da Bola desta segunda-feira (5), Craque Neto não poupou Vitão, mesmo que tenha reconhecido que o Internacional foi prejudicado pela arbitragem no lance da expulsão do volante Bruno Henrique. “Zagueiro de lado com cintura de ovo. Você que é uma porcaria de jogador”, detonou. O comentarista […]
Knicks stun Celtics in overtime to steal Game 1 of East semis
BOSTON — In the waning seconds of overtime, New York Knicks wing Mikal Bridges ripped a potential game-tying 3-pointer from the hands of Boston Celtics counterpart Jaylen Brown, and the underdogs walked out of TD Garden with a stunning Game 1 victory in their opening-round playoff series, 108-105.The Knicks stormed back from a 20-point, second-half deficit to make a close game of what appeared to be headed for a blowout. Boston's Jayson Tatum (23 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists) and New York's Jalen Brunson (29 points, 5 assists) both missed opportunities to break a 100-100 tie in the waning seconds of regulation, and both missed their mark — Tatum a step-back 3-pointer, Brunson a layup. But OG Anunoby (29 points) and the Knicks outscored the Celtics 8-5 in overtime.Targeting Karl-Anthony TownsFrom the jump, Tatum attacked Karl-Anthony Towns in the pick-and-roll, […]
NHL Mock Draft 2025: Matthew Schaefer to Islanders as we pick for every lottery team
The New York Islanders won the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, jumping nine spots thanks to the lottery Monday, while Utah Hockey Club went from No. 14 to No. 4.With a draft order now known, a collection of our NHL reporters combined for a mock draft of the first 16 picks. This is their best attempt to predict what will happen on draft day based on their knowledge of the teams they cover and what those teams covet in players.The 2025 NHL Draft will take place in Los Angeles on June 27 and 28.1. New York Islanders: Matthew Schaefer, LHD, Erie (OHL)Believe me, when that last ping-pong ball rose up, I had visions of the Islanders selecting Long Island native James Hagens to start their turnaround. It makes too much sense! But with all the turmoil around […]
Knicks complete 20-point comeback to stun Celtics in OT thriller
<!--> The New York Knicks overcame a 20-point third quarter deficit to stun the Boston Celtics in an 108-105 overtime thriller. The Celtics led 72-52 with 6:19 remaining in the third after an Al Horford dunk, but the Knicks closed that quarter on a 23-12 surge to cut the margin to 11. Then they scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter, and eventually tied the game at 86 with 7:21 remaining. The teams traded leads from that point and were knotted at 100 with 53.1 seconds left. Each team had a chance to win it in the final seconds of regulation, but Jayson Tatum missed a fade-away and then Jalen Brunson couldn't convert on a great look at the left side of the basket with 2.1 seconds left. Despite Brunson's miss, the Knicks were able to carry the momentum into the […]
Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz leaves game after hit to head
TORONTO — Anthony Stolarz was removed from the Toronto Maple Leafs goal midway through Monday’s game against the Florida Panthers after briefly being knocked to the ice by a forearm to the head by Sam Bennett.Joseph Woll replaced Stolarz with his team leading 4-1.It wasn’t immediately clear if the Leafs’ starter was removed by the NHL’s concussion spotter. Sam Bennett reintroduces himself to Anthony Stolarz pic.twitter.com/6CYdXQCrFx — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 6, 2025Stolarz had stopped eight of the nine shots he faced when Bennett skated by the edge of his crease and clipped him with his right arm at 7:20 of the second period. The officials blew the play dead.Stolarz remained in the game for another two-plus minutes before heading down the tunnel to the Leafs dressing room during the next stoppage in play at 9:48. He appeared to be laughing by […]
Gregg Popovich is still laughing at himself as he steps back from coaching
SAN ANTONIO — It was easy to see Monday morning that Gregg Popovich, despite ongoing effects of a stroke he suffered in November, remains every bit the same “Coach Pop” who won more games than any coach in NBA history — 1,592.The 76-year-old can still laugh at himself. Those who know the San Antonio Spurs’ legendary coach and executive best understand how important that is to a man who loves a joke, often at his own expense.AdvertisementPopovich’s appearance at a news conference at which the Spurs announced Mitch Johnson would be Popovich’s successor was a surprise to most. After opening remarks from Peter John Holt, the team’s managing partner, Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili escorted Popovich to the podium to address the public for the first time since the stroke. A few moments into the event, Popovich […]
Be the first to leave a comment