Rockets-Warriors Game 2 Hangs on the Shoulders of Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet

The Houston Rockets are undoubtedly in a must-win situation against the Golden State Warriors heading into Game 2 of this first-round series. With the Warriors up 1-0, having stolen Game 1 at the Toyota Center, the Rockets cannot afford to hit the road down 2-0.

Game 1 saw Alperen Sengun as the clear star for Houston, putting up 26 points and nine rebounds. He was efficient in the paint while doing as much as he could on the glass, while the rest of the Rockets struggled to shoot.

The results of Game 2 will come down to the offensive play of Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet. The guard duo shot 7-for-34 from the field and 2-for-17 from three, struggling to produce anything. In fact, the only players on Houston to shoot above 45% from the field were Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. (3-for-3), and Steven Adams (3-for-4).

Warriors aren't giving Steph Curry the primary Jalen Green assignment, but they didn't send any extra help when Curry was on Green in Game 1. Green went 3-of-15 shooting. Rockets don't seem to have perimeter scorer that panics GSW defense. pic.twitter.com/BCiaDQvyK9
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 21, 2025

Three-point shooting has plagued the Rockets all throughout the regular season despite winning 52 games. They rank in the bottom 10 of the NBA in terms of three-point percentage and three-pointers made per game.

The bottom line is there's no stopping playoff Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. The duo combined for 59 points on a total of 22-for-38 shooting and 6-for-11 from deep. It's clear that the Warriors have plenty of offense from those two alone, perhaps too much for Houston's defense to handle.

The Rockets simply need to match Golden State and play at a faster tempo. They have the younger team with fresher legs, and even if it isn't efficient, they need to emphasize shooting. The only way to match the Warriors on a hot shooting night is to put up more shots, specifically threes.

Green's consistency and efficiency have been a concern for most of his early NBA career, as he's shooting 42.2% from the field and 34.3% from three through four seasons. VanVleet has been wildly inefficient for most of the regular season, having shot under 40% from the field and 34.5% from three.

If Houston wants any shot at tying up this first-round series, it will come down to the performances of Green and VanVleet.

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