Photo: Peter Baba

Despite the Houston Rockets entering the postseason with one of the Western Conference’s best records, their success hasn’t translated as clearly in half-court situations.

Throughout the 2024–25 campaign, Houston has thrived on fast-break opportunities and early offense, but when the pace slows down, cracks begin to show.

The Golden State Warriors are well aware of this, and according to head coach Steve Kerr, their game plan is simple: keep the Rockets from running.

As reported by ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the Warriors believe that minimizing Houston’s transition chances and playing a clean, disciplined brand of basketball will be key to winning the series.

“But we’ve got to recognize that we don’t need to take chances in this series,” Kerr said after Sunday’s Game 1 victory.

“We need to be clean with our execution in transition. We don’t need to dribble through traffic. We don’t need to throw lob passes to try to get a dunk. We’ve gotta be rock solid. If we’re rock solid, smart and tough, I think we’ll be in good shape.”

Kerr’s message to the team has been clear: trust the fundamentals, value each possession, and don’t get baited into playing Houston’s up-tempo game.

Golden State’s playoff experience, combined with their ability to execute under pressure, gives them a unique edge, especially if they can dictate the pace.

“Houston wants to speed you up and turn mistakes into momentum,” said Warriors forward Kevon Looney. “But if we take care of the ball and make them work for every point, we know we can control the game.”

Golden State did just that in Game 1, limiting the Rockets to only 11 fast-break points and forcing them into tough, late-clock possessions. The Warriors’ half-court discipline and defensive communication stood out as key factors in the win.

As the series progresses, Kerr is betting that composure and execution, not flashy plays, will be the difference.

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