The Houston Rockets are fighting to stay alive as they head to San Francisco for a crucial Game 6 showdown with the Golden State Warriors Friday night. Golden State leads the series 3-2 and hopes to finish things off at home, where they’ve been nearly unbeatable against Houston lately.
Vegas oddsmakers have installed the Warriors as 5.5-point favorites at Chase Center.
The Rockets kept their season alive with a dominant 131-116 victory on Wednesday night, never letting the Warriors get comfortable. Houston built a lead that ballooned to 31 points, forcing Warriors coach Steve Kerr to wave the white flag early.
"Obviously, it’s not ideal to play that amount of minutes because if we’re winning, you play way more," said Warriors forward Draymond Green, who logged just 18 minutes in the blowout loss.
Green revealed a mid-game conversation with his coach that sealed the starters’ fate: "We had a quick conversation and he said, ‘I don’t think we should chase it,’ and I said, ‘Cool. We’ll give it five or six minutes and if we can’t turn it, pull the plug.’"
None of Golden State’s starters played more than 26 minutes.
Fred VanVleet powered Houston with 26 points in Game 5.
Rookie Amen Thompson delivered a breakout performance with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals.
Dillon Brooks added 24 points in just 29 minutes as the Rockets dominated from start to finish.
"It feels like we’re getting more consistent recognition of what they’re doing throughout the series as it goes on," Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. "If they have to beat us one-on-one, we feel that’s to our advantage."
The series now shifts back to Chase Center, where the Warriors have been tough to beat. Golden State has won 9 of their last 10 home games against Houston.
The Rockets, meanwhile, have struggled on the road, going just 1-5 in their last six away games.
ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives the Warriors a 60.4% chance of closing out the series Friday night.
How To Watch Rockets vs. Warriors Game 6
- 2025 NBA Playoffs First Round Matchup: Houston Rockets @ Golden State Warriors
- Game 6 Date: Friday, May 2, 2025
- Tip-off: 9 p.m. ET
- Venue: Chase Center | San Francisco, California
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Free Live Stream: Jazz Sports
- Game 6 Odds: Rockets +5.5 (-110) | Warriors -5.5 (+115)
Injury Report
Houston Rockets
C Jock Landale (knee; ruled out) | SF Jae’Sean Tate (ankle; out indefinitely)
Golden State Warriors
No reported injuries
