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The Golden State Warriors are no stranger to any playoff scenario. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have been battle-tested throughout their four championship runs since 2015, and this organization has faced every lead and every deficit in a series. That is why there is a calming presence surrounding the Dubs following their Game 5 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
After winning Game 3 without Jimmy Butler and then taking a 3-1 lead over Houston in Game 4, the Warriors' confidence had reached a new high. The conversations in San Francisco shifted from potentially “upsetting” the 2-seed Rockets to possibly going on a legitimate championship run.
Ever since Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the Warriors' front office pulled the trigger on their Butler trade, this has been the mentality in the locker room: compete for a championship.
Those dreams of once again hoisting the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy into the air are again relevant for the Warriors, and they are one win away from being one of the last four teams standing in the Western Conference. However, the Dubs were unable to get that series-clinching win on Wednesday night, as Ime Udoka's young and athletic Rockets team took the fight to the veterans.
As soon as Game 5 in Houston started, Alperen Sengun and his group had a different look in their eyes. Houston was not afraid to be physical, they pushed the pace in transition, and most importantly, they took the fight to the Warriors. Curry looked out of rhythm, and the Rockets' effort on defense completely stalled any plans the Warriors had entering this game.
An early 8-5 advantage for Golden State was met by a 15-0 run by the Rockets in about three minutes. From that point on, the Warriors unraveled like a cheap sweater, as Houston went on an extended 18-0 run from the end of the first quarter into the second quarter. Although the bench unit led by Moses Moody cut the Rockets' lead to 13 at one point in the second half, this was a beatdown.
Houston led by as many as 31 points against the Warriors' starters. Once Golden State went scoreless for roughly six minutes in the first half, it seemed like they checked out and were already focused on Game 6.
While this may be a dangerous mindset for any team in the playoffs to possess, especially since you are giving the opposition confidence and momentum, it's not all that alarming for the Warriors.
The reason: Golden State has done this before during a championship run.
What happened during Warriors' 2022 championship run?
No team ever wants to get blown out in a playoff game, especially when facing a chance to eliminate a team on their home floor. It is much better to get a series over with for the extra days of rest and to avoid giving the opposition confidence. It was never the Warriors' intention to lose Game 5 in Houston, but the team had dropped subtle hints leading up to this matchup that Game 6 was on their minds.
There was a quick turnaround between the Warriors' emotional 109-106 win at home in Game 4 and playing on the road in Game 5. Neither side had time to rest, which favored the younger Rockets, and Steve Kerr mentioned multiple times leading up to Wednesday night's debacle that the scheduling of the series was going to be a problem.
The Warriors' focus now is putting the idea of traveling halfway across the country behind them, as they don't intend on having to go back to Houston for a Game 7. Although the Rockets were in complete control of Game 5 on Wednesday night, Draymond has made it clear the team has moved on.
“At this point in our careers, we've seen it all. Had all the experiences. So, you’ve got something to draw back from. Yeah, they played a good game. But whether they win by one or by 50, it’s a playoff series. Counts as one,” Green said on Wednesday night. “We turned the page quick. Just start talking about possible adjustments that we can make, things we see, stuff we can get into. We have.
“We flipped the page really fast.”
Playoff dominance has always been a part of the Warriors' DNA with Curry, Green, and Kerr. No matter what they did during the regular season, Golden State is always a threat to win any postseason series they play, and the entire NBA was reminded of that in 2022 when many were quick to write the former champions off.
When the Warriors entered the playoffs in 2022, they handled Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in five games. That was right before Denver became a juggernaut in the West and won their first championship in 2023. Golden State advanced to the Western Conference Finals to face Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies, a young, dynamic team that used their speed and defensive tenacity to wear down opponents.
This was a physical series and one that was ultimately won by the Warriors due to their mental fortitude. Even so, the veteran Warriors faced a handful of challenges.
Game 1 in 2022 between Golden State and Memphis saw fireworks early on, as Green was ejected after receiving a flagrant 2 for a hard foul on Brandon Clarke. Tensions between the two teams were high moving forward, as after the Warriors won 117-116 in a tight Game 1 on the road, the Grizzlies clapped back with a 106-101 Game 2 win on their home floor.
While Green wasn't ejected, Dillon Brooks was. The Grizzlies wing was hit with a flagrant 2 after a hard foul on Gary Payton II, which resulted in the high-flying swingman suffering a broken elbow.
After the Warriors handled business in the next two games on their home floor, outscoring the Grizzlies by 33 combined points in Games 3 and 4, it was Memphis' turn to respond. With tensions continuing to rise and multiple players receiving technical fouls throughout the series for how chippy everything got, the Grizzlies came out with fire and passion in Game 5 on their home floor down 3-1 in the series.
The Grizzlies won this game 134-95 in a total no-show by the Warriors. This was the infamous “Whoop That Trick” game, with Draymond waving a towel around dancing with the crowd while his team was annihilated on the court.
None of these antics and the confidence Memphis created for themselves bothered the Warriors. This team understood what it took to win a championship, and this was just one game. When it was time for Game 6, Curry and Co. handled their business and completely put Game 5 behind them. On their home floor, the Dubs ended the series and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
The Warriors then took down the Dallas Mavericks in five games before defeating the Boston Celtics in six games to capture another championship.
Athleticism, length, and physicality were the three things the Warriors faced against the Grizzlies in 2022. Those are now the three words best used to describe the Rockets heading into Game 6 with Golden State holding a 3-2 series lead in this first-round matchup.
The similarities between past Grizzlies and current Rockets
While this current series the Warriors are battling in isn't a direct carbon copy of the one they played against Memphis in 2022, it is eerily similar. Not to mention, it's quite symbolic of their whole playoff journey in 2022 because Ime Udoka, who was the coach of the Celtics in the NBA Finals when the Warriors beat them, is on the sidelines in Houston.
Aside from this series playing out the same so far compared to the one between Golden State and Memphis, there are clear similarities between the 2025 Rockets and the 2022 Grizzlies.
During the 2021-22 season, the Grizzlies won 56 games, their most in seven years at the time, and they were the 2-seed in the West despite being one of the youngest teams in the league. Ja Morant was 22 years old in his third season, and the veterans on this roster were Dillon Brooks and Steven Adams, both of whom were under 30 years old at the time.
Memphis used their athleticism and speed to their advantage, punishing opponents for their lackadaisical play and turnovers. As a result, the Grizzlies ranked third in pace, fifth in offensive rating, and fourth in defensive rating. They also led the league in offensive rebounding and total rebounds per game.
This season, the Rockets won 52 games, their most in six years, and they claimed the 2-seed in the West with half of their roster having less than four years of experience in the NBA. Jalen Green just turned 23, and Alperen Sengun turns 23 in July. Just like how Morant made his first All-Star appearance during the 2021-22 season, Sengun made his first All-Star appearance this year.
Of course, we can't forget the fact that both Brooks and Adams are the veteran leaders of this Rockets team, along with Fred VanVleet.
One of the main reasons why Houston was able to claim the 2-seed in the West was due to their defense. While the Rockets ranked 18th in pace and 14th in scoring during the regular season, this team thrives off turnovers. Every time the Warriors have turned the ball over in this series, the Rockets have looked to push the pace and get easy transition opportunities.
The 2022 Grizzlies loved to attack opposing teams in the paint, and that is exactly what the Rockets have done in the playoffs. Houston also finished the year ranking first in offensive rebounding and total rebounds per game.
Golden State has experienced this before.
After being blown out by the Grizzlies in Game 5 of their Western Conference Semifinals series, the Warriors rallied back and put a stamp on the series with a Game 6 win on their home floor. Although Klay Thompson was the Warriors' closer then, Butler is ready to take on this mantle and lead his new team to a series-clinching win.
How the past impacts Warriors' potential title future
Experience matters in the playoffs.
The Warriors have won four championships with Curry, Green, and Kerr together. This group has been through the ups and downs of the playoffs, and losing Game 5 in the way they did won't have a lasting impact heading into Game 6 because Golden State understands the nature of how postseason series operate with momentum and continuity.
This is all new for the Rockets. Although VanVleet has won a championship against the Warriors in the past and others have some postseason experience like Adams and Brooks, the fact of the matter is that Houston's stars are in uncharted waters.
That makes the Rockets vulnerable heading into a very hostile environment for Game 6.
Green referenced the run that his team made in 2022 against the Grizzlies after Game 5's loss on Wednesday night. Despite this being three years later and against a different, younger team, Draymond still found a way to smile after the loss.
“They weren’t playing ‘Whoop that Trick,’” Green jokingly stated, “but they may as well have been.”
With a 3-2 advantage in the series and now having the chance to close out the series on their home floor, Golden State has all the confidence they need. The loss they suffered in Game 5 was simply a no-show, and that has happened before to the Warriors.
Kerr knows what he's doing. There was a strategy behind resting his starters for the majority of Game 5 in Houston, and this team's focus has been on getting back home to wrap things up. This strategy has worked in the past for the Warriors, and there is no reason to believe this time around will be any different unless their self-inflicted wounds get the best of them.
While Butler has not been in this situation with Curry and Green before, the veteran star understands what his role is. No matter if he is still dealing with lingering effects of his injury from earlier in the series, Butler is up for the challenge ahead of Game 6.
“We’re fine. Our confidence isn’t going to waver,” Butler said. “We’re going to start out better and play a better overall game because we know how good of a team we are as a unit. We know how good our players are as individuals. So us, the starters, have to kick us off better, which we know we will do.
“We'll be fine.”
