Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors took the Houston Rockets’ lunch in Game 1, and will look to do it again in Game 2 for a shot at going up 2-0 in the series before it shifts to San Francisco. Will the Warriors double down on their series lead? Or, will the Rockets respond and score a big win?

Catch this game live on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 9:30 AM, Manila time

Away: Golden State Warriors (1-0)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Stephen Curry
  • Brandin Podziemski
  • Jimmy Butler III
  • Moses Moody
  • Draymond Green

Jimmy Butler’s playoff debut as a Warrior went about just fine. Golden State crushed the Rockets in Game 1 last Sunday to the tune of a 95-85 score in Houston, thanks in a large part to the Dubs’ 1-2 punch of Stephen Curry and Butler, who scored 31 and 25 points, respectively. They took turns frustrating Houston’s defense, while combining for 22-for-38 shooting from the field. 

But it was also Golden State’s stout defense that took the air out of the Rockets, who shot just 39.1 percent from the field and committed a total of 16 turnovers. Butler’s great chemistry with Curry on offense and with Draymond Green on defense is feeding families in Golden State, and it could continue this Thursday if the Rockets fail to come up with a solution to their woes.

The Warriors have covered the spread in all of their last six games as the road team. Moreover, Golden State is 8-2 against the spread in its last 10 games in Houston.

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Home: Houston Rockets (0-1)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Fred VanVleet
  • Jalen Green
  • Amen Thompson
  • Dillon Brooks
  • Alperen Sengun

The Rockets finished the regular season in the middle of the pack with an average of 113.9 points per game. But in Game 1, Houston looked so much more anemic on offense. While they held Golden State to 95 points, the Rockets shot just 39.1 percent from the field and committed 16 turnovers. 

“To hold somebody to 95 (points), you’d expect to win if you have a decent offensive night,” Houston head coach Ime Udoka said after the game (h/t The Athletic). 

Houston has to coax more offense outside of Sengun, who led the Rockets with 26 points on 11-for-18 shooting. The Rockets tried to make up for their misses with extra chances, taking 11 more field goal attempts than Houston, thanks in part to their 22 offensive rebounds. But at the end of the day, it is still about making shots, which Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green struggled mightily to do, combining for just 17 points on an atrocious 7-for-34 shooting. That being said, positive regression could be a friend this Thursday by Houston.

The Rockets are 2-2 ATS in their last four games as the home team. 

Picks

Spread: Houston Rockets (-3.5)

Over/Under: Over (203.5)

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