After a day of blowouts by some of the top teams in the NBA on Sunday, the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors gave NBA fans some fodder to chew on heading into the Game 2s in the first round. In a low-scoring slugfest, the Warriors stole Game 1 on the road with a gritty 95-85 victory to get on the board in the series.
While the Warriors didn't score the ball efficiently, they still had Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler to bail them out with great performances. On the other side, the Rockets didn't really have anywhere to turn to when the offense bogged down in the second half.
Does that boil down to the coaching or the players? Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley bickered about it after the game on Inside the NBA.
Chuck & Shaq go at it on whether or not coaching matters 👀 pic.twitter.com/rsbkqA3bFc
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 21, 2025
“Coaching is important, man, stop it!” Barkley exclaimed.




“No it's not, the players gotta go out there and get the job done,” O'Neal responded.
O'Neal is of the belief that the Rockets' players cost them the game with their turnovers and inability to make open shots. The Rockets struggled to get any offensive production outside of either big ban Alperen Sengun or by just battling on the offensive glass. Players like Tari Eason and Dillon Brooks got some open looks, but were unable to knock them down.
That was a stark contrast from the other side of the ball. The Warriors don't have a ton of shooters on the floor at any time, which allows the Rockets to key in even more on Butler and Curry with their crop of athletic defenders. However, the two stars got to their spots and knocked down tough shots all night, combining for 66 points in the win. The rest of the Warriors' roster scored just 29.
Heading into Game 2, the Rockets are going to have to figure out how to generate some easier offense. Getting better shooting nights from Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green will help, but this is going to be a low-scoring series with a lot of half-court possessions. Golden State can rely on Curry and Butler in late-clock situations, and the Rockets need to find a similar place of comfort if they are going to come back and win.