The Golden State Warriors are off to a flying start in the playoffs. Stephen Curry and Co. drew first blood with an impressive 95-85 win against the second-seeded Houston Rockets. With that, the Dubs became just the second lower-seeded team to win their first game of the series. However, the entire ride wasn’t smooth. At one point in time, the Warriors almost saw their 23-point lead vanish in front of their eyes. Of course, it frustrated Golden State’s head coach, Steve Kerr, who was visibly angry with his team as they got a bit complacent. The Dubs’ head coach was furious with his team turning over the ball so frequently, causing breakouts.
So much so that Kerr was seen all worked up on the sidelines multiple times. Indeed, the Warriors did give away a lot of turnovers in the game. 11 was exactly the number of turnovers from Stephen Curry and Co. However, after the game, Jimmy Butler gave his take on this situation, which was rather contradictory. “I mean he hates it as much as I hate it as well, but sometimes good things come out of it come out of this organized chaos,” Butler stated after the win. “One player in particular loves and thrives in. So you know you got to take the crooked with the straight sometimes it’s not gonna be all good, it’s not going to be all bad either but we’re fine.”
Butler acknowledged that he hates giving away the ball as much as his head coach. However, he pointed out that sometimes a bit of chaos is needed as good things come out of it. Well, it did for the Warriors on the night as they did give away 11 but also forced the Rockets into 17 turnovers. In fact, the Dubs forced six turnovers in the final six minutes! This ensured they clinched the win on the night and a crucial 1-0 lead in the series. So, you could say that Butler’s suggestion to Kerr is not a bad one. However, they need to keep the organized chaos well organized, otherwise it could backfire. The Rockets did generate 23 points from those 11 turnovers.
While it wasn’t the deciding factor on the night, it could be in the upcoming games. The Warriors might have won on the night, but they weren’t flawless. In fact, giving away 11 turnovers isn’t a good sign, four of which came from their franchise player, Stephen Curry. So, it’s an issue they’ll need to sort out as the Dubs gear up for round two with Houston in just a couple of days’ time. Meanwhile, the Dubs might have won the turnover battle, but there was a stat that did not end up in their favor. Something that Jimmy Butler thinks is due to an unusual thing he noticed about the Houston Rockets’ players.
Jimmy Butler speaks about an unusual truth about Houston’s defense
Looking at the final score, you might assume it was an easy ride for the Golden State Warriors against the Rockets in Game 1. However, it couldn’t have been further away from the truth. While the Dubs were in control for the most part, Houston’s defense wasn’t letting them score easily. In fact, Rockets’ head coach himself attested that his team “guarded well enough to win.” Indeed, containing the Warriors to double-digits speaks volumes. To put it into perspective for you, before this game, Steph Curry was 0-10 in away games when the Dubs scored fewer than 100 points. So, you can say it was the offensive end of the floor that the Rockets struggled with.
Feb 25, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) dribbles against the Charlotte Hornets in the second quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
But, it makes to think why Houston’s defense is so sound against an offensive Warriors lineup? Well, Jimmy Buckets had an unusual answer for that. When asked about the reason for Houston’s incredible defense, Butler said, “I don’t know, they’re just some oversized human beings that are overly athletic. But we’ll go back to the drawing boards, probably do some box out drills, and come back and not give up 22 offensive rebounds.” Sure enough, Jimmy was on point with his assessment. Houston’s defense contains towering players such as Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and Dillon Brooks.
All of them are not only good defenders, but also fantastic athletes. That’s a major reason why Houston led the offensive rebounds 22-6 and overall rebounds 52-36. Butler acknowledged that grabbing rebounds is something his team will work on. But, it’s expected given that warriors are among the shorter rosters, and on the other hand, Houston has much more height. So, it’s clear that Houston has a massive advantage in that category. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see what plan Jimmy Butler and the Golden State come up with as they gear up for game 2 against the Rockets in just a couple of days time.
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