Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler powered the Golden State Warriors to a 95-85 road win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday, giving the defending Western Conference champions a 1-0 lead in their first-round series.
Head coach Steve Kerr reflected on the low-scoring battle afterward, saying, “It felt like 1997 out there to me — completely different NBA game than what we’re used to.”
Kerr’s squad built a 23-point cushion in the third quarter and withstood a late push from the second-seeded Rockets to seal the series opener.
Curry led all scorers with 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting, including five three-pointers, and buried a deep jumper to halt Houston’s momentum after they pulled within four.
Butler, acquired from Miami in February, delivered 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals in 42 minutes in his Warriors postseason debut.
The Rockets narrowed the deficit to 84-80 with 2:32 left after a Fred VanVleet three-pointer, but Moses Moody responded with a corner triple to spark a 7-0 run.
Houston’s backcourt duo of VanVleet and Jalen Green combined for 7-of-34 shooting and went 2-of-17 from deep as the Rockets struggled from beyond the arc.
Alperen Sengun kept Houston within reach with 26 points and nine rebounds in his playoff debut, while Steven Adams chipped in 12 boards off the bench.
Brandin Podziemski contributed 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists for Golden State, and Draymond Green anchored the defense with three steals and three assists.
Despite being outrebounded 52-36 and giving up 22 offensive boards, the Warriors shot 47.4% from the field and knocked down 12-of-32 from deep.
The Rockets finished 6-of-29 from three-point range and missed nine free throws, converting just 11-of-20 from the line.
The win marked Kerr’s 100th career playoff victory, tying him with Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown for sixth-most in NBA history.
Golden State will attempt to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series when the teams meet again Wednesday night in Houston.
