The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets are going head-to-head in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. It's an intriguing matchup featuring proven playoff veterans for Golden State and a talented young core for Houston.

The Rockets are built on being a big, physical team that wants to dominate opponents into submission. They ranked fourth in the NBA in defensive rating during the regular season and have held the Warriors to an average of 94.5 points per contest in the first two games of this series.

Without Butler in the lineup, the Warriors struggled offensively in the 109–94 loss—star Steph Curry once said Butler makes the Warriors' possessions easier, so his absence naturally threw a wrench into the Warriors' plans to snatch away two wins during the Rockets' playoff homestand.