Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets Picks and Predictions May 2nd 2025

Warriors Look to Finish Off Rockets in Game 6 at Home

After a lopsided Game 5 loss on the road, the Golden State Warriors return to San Francisco on Friday with another chance to close out the Houston Rockets in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Warriors Shift Focus After Early Exit in Game 5

Down by 29 points with under six minutes left in the third quarter on Wednesday, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr benched his entire starting lineup. None of the starters played more than 26 minutes as Golden State essentially conceded the game and turned its attention to Game 6.

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“We’ll give it five (or) six minutes and if we can’t turn it, pull the plug,” Draymond Green said of his discussion with Kerr. “Cool. We’ll live to fight another day.”

Golden State’s reserves rallied late but couldn’t close the gap, falling 131-116. Now, the Warriors aim to finish the series at home, drawing confidence from past playoff comebacks and elimination-game experience.

“We’ve had a pretty resilient group over the last two months, and it has to show on Friday,” said Stephen Curry.

Rockets Ride Youthful Spark Into Game 6

Houston, meanwhile, extended the series with a burst of athleticism and defensive intensity that overwhelmed Golden State in Game 5. The Rockets used pace, physicality, and defensive disruption to prevent the Warriors from settling into their rhythm.

“If they have to beat us one-on-one, we feel that’s to our advantage,” said Rockets head coach Ime Udoka. “We’re trying to wear them down and take away their actions.”

Fred VanVleet led Houston with 26 points and praised the team’s ability to stay level-headed despite inexperience.

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“They don’t necessarily know what’s at stake all the time… but being able to bounce back is one of the best things about being a young team,” VanVleet said.

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Can Experience Trump Energy?

While the Rockets have shown flashes of brilliance, Game 6 will test their maturity against a Warriors team steeped in playoff poise. Golden State has been here before — notably losing by 39 to Memphis in Game 5 of the 2022 West semifinals before eliminating the Grizzlies in Game 6 at home.

Now, it’s time to prove whether history can repeat itself.