The Golden State Warriors didn’t just lose Game 5—they made a calculated decision to lose it. And that choice, rooted in a locker room debate between Steve Kerr and his staff, may end up becoming the pivot that decides this series. “You want to give them a chance,” Kerr said of his veteran stars. “But at some point, it becomes risk-reward.”
Draymond Green knew the moment was coming. Before halftime even ended, Kerr and assistant coach Terry Stotts had already floated the idea of pulling the starters. Green gave the nod. Five more minutes, they agreed. And when that mini-window passed with no momentum shift, the Warriors emptied the bench.
What looked like a white flag was something far more nuanced. It was a strategic surrender. A long-term gambit. Steve Kerr noted in a recent interview: “Yeah, that’s a big difference for sure—especially given the age of Steph, Draymond, and Jimmy. Playing 25 [minutes] instead of 40 is a huge difference.”
That’s what threatens Houston the most. This wasn’t just load management—it was battle prep. Houston, by contrast, leaned on their starters through a punishing, high-intensity performance. Now they head into Chase Center for Game 6 against a rested, refocused trio who’ve all been here before. The psychological edge shifts. The fatigue meter tips. Kerr’s gamble set the table for what could be a crushing counterpunch.
By the time Curry hit his first shot with just over six minutes left in the second quarter, the Warriors were already down 19. Jimmy Butler, hampered by an earlier glute injury, was 2-for-10. The Rockets were locked in and firing on all cylinders, hitting over 69% from the field in the first half.
Kerr could’ve chased the game. But he didn’t.
Instead, he sent a message. To the Rockets. To his own locker room. To the league.
The Warriors would live to fight another day—with fresher legs and clearer heads.
It was also an injury-preventive maneuver. With Curry’s thumb issue, Butler recovering from a deep contusion, and the toll of a bruising series mounting, Game 5 wasn’t worth more damage. The Rockets now face a rested trio with more playoff scars—and more urgency—than their entire rotation combined.
Butler’s injury recovery wasn’t just physical—it was strategic. After Game 5, questions lingered about how much he had left. Kerr clarified Thursday, walking back any concerns:
“He’s good. Yeah, he’s ready to go,” Kerr said. “He was in our walkthrough today and our film session, moving around well. I think he’s feeling a lot better.”
Pressed further on whether the healing process continues even after re-entering contact-heavy play, Kerr added: “He’s as tough as they come. I haven’t even talked to him about it, frankly. The training staff monitors all that. Jimmy will be ready to go tomorrow.”
While his Game 5 struggles weren’t linked to the deep glute contusion he suffered in Game 2, Kerr did admit Butler got “lost in the shuffle” due to poor offensive execution. But health-wise, the five-time All-NBA forward is cleared and focused.
It’s an underrated swing factor. Houston might have stolen a game, but they haven’t cracked Butler’s code yet—and now, they’ll face a fully recovered version.
Kerr pulled the plug—now watch the circuit reignite
Kerr told reporters postgame: “We weren’t sharp at all, but we knew that watching it live, so I’m not sure we learned a whole lot.” Maybe not tactically. But strategically? The Warriors may have just won the battle of rest, rhythm, and readiness.
Game 6 isn’t just a closeout opportunity. It’s a reckoning.
And that reckoning begins with rhythm. The Warriors’ first unit was all over the place in Game 5. Possessions died without Curry or Butler even touching the ball. Draymond had one assist in nearly 18 minutes. Kerr called it out bluntly: “We got scattered.”
That word—scattered—is what Golden State is trying to correct before Game 6. They’ve added new wrinkles to attack the zone, reviewed spacing issues in Thursday’s walkthrough, and even revisited their foundational mantra: play off Steph, then let Jimmy eat.
But the bigger theme looming over this moment is legacy. The trio of Curry, Draymond, and Jimmy is not built to wait. They are built to win now—or not at all. And Game 6 will be approached as such. Not a correction, but a culmination. Not just adjustments, but affirmations.
This is where history becomes ammunition. Stephen Curry is 60-17 in home playoff games. His three-point percentage at Chase Center is nearly three points higher than on the road. Draymond’s box score stats—points, rebounds, assists—are all better in San Francisco. Butler, too, owns a higher playoff Game Score and Box Plus-Minus at home.
Feb 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler (10) and guard Stephen Curry (30) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Together, that’s not just comfort. That’s muscle memory.
Houston, by contrast, remains unpredictable. Their Game 5 explosion—69% shooting in the first half, 13-of-30 from three—was impressive, but far from the norm. They finished the regular season ranked just 12th in offensive efficiency. In this series, they’ve gone ice-cold just as often as they’ve caught fire. Game 6, in a hostile Chase Center? That’s pressure they haven’t yet mastered.
And while Fred VanVleet’s resurgence has been a boost, he’s one of the few Rockets with extensive playoff reps. The core—Sengun, Green, Thompson—had zero postseason minutes coming in. That matters now. Because closeout games are different. They demand composure. They demand memory.
Golden State has that in spades. Just ask Memphis.
In 2022, the Warriors got demolished in Game 5 of the second round—39 points to a younger, hungrier Grizzlies team. Memphis left their arena rocking. The next game? The Dubs returned to Chase, recalibrated, and closed it out with ease. Game 5 didn’t shake them. It reminded them.
And that, perhaps, is what Houston should fear most. The Warriors didn’t just rest their bodies. They reloaded their minds.
Now comes the punch.
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