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| Warriors Struggle Mentally and Tactically Against Rockets’ Pressure in Game 5. |
JAKARTA – Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn’t sugarcoat it. After the team’s painful loss in Game 5 of the NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets, Kerr admitted that there wasn’t much to learn from the game footage. For him, the issues were clear the moment the game started—and watching it again didn’t change that.
“To be honest, the replay didn’t open our eyes to anything new,” Kerr told reporters in a video call on Thursday. “We simply didn’t play sharp, and that was obvious right from the live game. So yeah… not much to learn, really.”
The Warriors still lead the series 3-2 and will have a chance to close it out at home in Chase Center on Friday at 6 p.m. local time. However, Game 5 revealed some major red flags, especially in terms of offensive strategy and mental readiness.
Houston’s Zone Defense Causing Big Headaches
One of the biggest challenges for the Warriors in Game 5 was Houston’s zone defense. The Rockets fielded both Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams simultaneously—a move that effectively clogged the paint and disrupted the flow for Golden State’s key players, Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler.
Kerr was quick to clarify that Butler’s lackluster performance wasn’t due to the deep bruised hip he suffered in Game 2.
“Jimmy’s fine physically. We saw that in the film. But honestly, I didn’t do a good job of getting him the ball. That’s on me. He’s ready to go though—this is the kind of moment he lives for,” Kerr explained.
Curry and Butler Off Their Game
Numbers don’t lie. Curry and Butler, expected to be the Warriors’ main scoring engines, were unusually cold. The duo combined to shoot just 6-for-22 from the field. Curry didn’t even score his first points until the second quarter—by which time the Rockets already had a 52–33 lead.
Even worse, there were several stretches where Curry and Butler were on the floor but barely touched the ball before someone else jacked up a shot.
Curry ended the night with 13 points on 12 attempts, while Butler managed only 8 points on 10 shots. Kerr ended up pulling both of them in the third quarter once the game seemed out of reach.
“I hate that kind of situation,” said Kerr. “Ideally, both Steph and Jimmy should at least touch the ball on every possession. We’ve emphasized all season how the offense runs through Steph. When we brought Jimmy in, that was part of the plan too. We need to be sharper in Game 6.”
Offensive Flow is the Real Issue
Kerr was quick to defend Butler, stating that the problem isn’t with his effort but with the team’s offensive structure.
“Our offense was a mess. Jimmy just disappeared from the game,” Kerr admitted. “He plays a simple game—get him the ball, maintain spacing, and let him read the defense. We need better connection between our offense and defense. When that happens, Jimmy usually plays great.”
Practice Focused on Beating the Zone
Thursday’s practice was all about fixing the team’s approach to Houston’s zone defense. Kerr shared that the team walked through a few specific sets designed to attack the zone, but admitted execution is still a work in progress.
“We need to improve our spacing. We did some walkthroughs during practice today to test a few things. Overall, we’ve actually handled the zone pretty well in the series. We’ve gotten some good looks. But the whole point of a zone is to take you out of your rhythm—and in the playoffs, every team tries to eliminate your strengths,” said Kerr.
VanVleet Heating Up at the Worst Time
As if zone defense wasn’t enough, the Rockets now have another dangerous weapon: Fred VanVleet. After a rough shooting start in the first two games (6-for-27 from three), VanVleet has caught fire in the last two—drilling 12-of-18 from deep.
“They’re a tough team. Sengun and Adams are great screeners—they open up a lot of space. And Fred… man, he’s hot right now. We gave him too much room in several plays,” Kerr added.
Draymond Green’s Silent Night
Another concern for the Warriors is Draymond Green, who’s typically the heart of their playmaking. In Game 5, he recorded only one assist in nearly 18 minutes. That’s extremely low by his standards.
“We’ve got to get Draymond in better positions to make plays like he normally does. We’ve already discussed it and tried out some new sets in practice,” said Kerr.
Kuminga’s Status Still Uncertain
One more wrinkle in the Warriors’ Game 5 struggles: Jonathan Kuminga didn’t play. He was ruled out just before tip-off due to a sudden, severe headache.
“We’re still considering all options. This team needs to be flexible game to game. In the past, I’ve had teams where we could start the same five every night. This season’s different—we need to be more creative. Everything’s on the table,” Kerr concluded.
Do-or-Die Mentality Needed in Game 6
With everything that went wrong in Game 5—from Curry and Butler’s poor shooting, to zone defense issues, and VanVleet’s explosion—the Warriors have little room for error. They must regroup quickly if they want to avoid a do-or-die Game 7 back in Houston.
The big question now is: Can Steve Kerr and the Warriors rediscover their rhythm and mental sharpness in time for Game 6?
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