With home court advantage the Houston Rockets have accomplished half the battle with their first round matchup. However, their win in game 2 at Toyota Center was simply embarrassing for the Golden State Warriors.
Let’s not sugarcoat it. When you’re not the higher seed, when you have Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler healthy and on the floor, and when you win game 1 with some authority, you do not turn around two nights later and get punched in the mouth the way Golden State did. Houston showed they are hungry. That part was clear from the opening tip. Jalen Green played like a man who still remembers what it’s like to knock the Warriors out of the playoffs. And Alperen Sengun? He looked like a guy on a mission to show he’s more than just a high-flying scorer with potential. He looked like a star.
You can say Golden State just had an off night. Sure, teams have those. But this wasn’t just an off shooting night or a few bad rotations. This was deeper than that. This was a total breakdown in effort, in execution, and in urgency. The Warriors didn’t play like a team trying to take a 2–0 lead back to Chase Center. They played like a team that thought the Rockets would roll over and hand them a win. That was the first mistake.
Defensively, the Warriors were a step behind all night. Houston’s ball movement shredded Golden State’s usually dependable rotations. Alperen Şengün had a field day on the low block, drawing doubles and kicking out to open shooters or flipping clever little passes to cutters. For every smart pass Şengün made, it felt like the Warriors were reacting just a beat too late. Draymond Green, who has long been the emotional and defensive compass of this team, looked frustrated as the defensive breakdowns kept piling up. He barked at teammates. He pointed fingers. But he also missed some rotations himself.
It wasn’t just Draymond. What made it all worse was Jimmy Butler going down in the first half with what appeared to be a lower leg. He limped off after trying to drive through contact in the first quarter and didn’t return. The Warriors never recovered. Losing Butler, who sets the tone with his two-way play and toughness, took the wind out of their sails. He had already made a few smart defensive stops and looked like he was ready to be the steadying presence the team needed. Once he left the game, the energy dropped, the rotations got sloppy, and there was no one to fill the leadership void he left behind.
Offensively, the Warriors were flat. Jonathan Kuminga scored only 12 after not playing in game 1. He dribbled too much, forced shots, and turned the ball over in moments where a simple extra pass would’ve done the trick.
Curry had a quiet 15 points. He didn’t take over. He didn’t hit the backbreaking threes we’ve come to expect. Give Houston credit for that. They ran him off the three-point line, threw different defenders at him, and made sure he saw bodies every time he came around a screen. When Curry is harassed for 48 minutes and no one else steps up to relieve that pressure, this Warriors team becomes very beatable.
And let’s talk about Steve Kerr for a moment. He’s a future Hall of Fame coach, no doubt. But his rotations in game 2 were questionable. He leaned too long on lineups that were getting cooked, and he didn’t adapt to Houston’s energy and spacing. When the Rockets made their third-quarter run—a run that stretched the lead into double digits—Kerr sat on his timeouts longer than usual, as if waiting for the veterans to fix it themselves. They didn’t. And by the time he called timeout, the damage had already been done.
What made the loss even more frustrating is that Golden State knows better. They’ve been through this. They’ve won titles. They’ve survived dogfights. This isn’t a young team learning how to win. This is a veteran group that, on paper, should be able to go into Houston and at least compete with consistency. The Rockets are young. They’re fast. They’re aggressive. But they shouldn’t be embarrassing a team with this much championship pedigree.
There’s also the mental aspect of this loss that can’t be overlooked. When a team like Houston feels like they’ve figured you out—when they see that their defensive pressure is rattling your rhythm—it builds their confidence. Suddenly shots fall a little easier, decisions are made with more speed, and the crowd gets behind them in a way that makes the floor feel like it’s tilting. Houston fed off of Golden State’s mistakes, and instead of responding with poise, the Warriors imploded.
One of the loudest moments of the game came not from a highlight dunk or a game-sealing three, but when Dillon Brooks took a charge against Jonathan Kuminga midway through the fourth quarter. It was symbolic. Houston wasn’t just beating the Warriors with skill—they were beating them with grit. They outworked them on the glass, they won the 50/50 balls, and they made all the hustle plays. When that’s happening, it doesn’t matter how many rings are in your locker room. You’re going to lose.
Looking ahead to game 3, the Warriors now face some real pressure. The series is tied 1–1, but momentum has shifted. Houston believes now. They didn’t just sneak away with a lucky win. They dominated. If the Warriors don’t come out with a completely different mindset in game 3, this series could turn ugly for them fast.
This also raises a bigger question about where the Warriors are headed. The dynasty window isn’t completely shut, but it’s definitely creaking. With Jimmy Butler’s injury in game two Draymond’s leadership will be very important even though it’s started to feel more like barking than rallying. And Curry, while still elite, can’t do it alone. This roster was built with the idea that their championship core could lift up the next generation of Warriors. But in games like this, you look around and wonder: where is that next generation?
Jonathan Kuminga had flashes, but he’s still raw. Moses Moody played a few solid minutes, but he’s not a game-changer yet. And if you’re counting on Quinten Post or Gary Payton II to swing a playoff game on the road, you’re already in trouble.
You can’t ignore the body language, either. There was something about how the Warriors carried themselves during the second half that just didn’t sit right. Heads down. Late to get back in transition. Players looking at each other after missed assignments like they were waiting for someone else to lead. That’s not championship basketball. That’s not even playoff basketball.
Of course, you don’t want to overreact to one game. This is still Golden State. They’ve come back from worse. But the loss in game 2 should serve as a warning shot. Houston is not going away. They’ve been underestimated all year, and now they’re playing with house money. They already stole one game, and now they get to head back to Chase Center knowing they can hang with one of the best. That’s a dangerous place for a young team to be—dangerous for their opponent, that is.
Here’s the thing, folks: The Warriors are still in control of their fate in this series. Win game 3, restore some order, and remind the Rockets who they’re playing. But if they come out with the same lethargic, disorganized effort they showed in game 2, then it’s not just about one bad loss. It’s about a possible changing of the guard in the Western Conference.
With that… Golden State has been the standard for a decade. But that only lasts as long as you’re willing to fight for it. Game 2 showed what happens when they let their guard down. Hopefully, Game 3 will show us if they still have the fire to make another deep run.
If you cannot play with them, then root for them!