Slowing Down Jimmy Butler is a Top Priority for the Houston Rockets

Containing Jimmy Butler should be at the top of the list for the Houston Rockets in their first-round matchup with the Golden State Warriors.

Apr 6, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) drives past Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) in the second quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets will have to wait a little while longer for their first home playoff game since 2019, as their matchup with the Golden State Warriors is the last game on Sunday. The Rockets are back in the playoffs for the first time since their 2020 second-round loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Rockets have taken full advantage of the extra time this week as they have held practice sessions every day since finding out they would be hosting the Warriors in the first round. The Rockets are only the second No. 2 seed to come into their first-round matchup as underdogs.

A few keys stand out for the Rockets in their first-round series. The Rockets will have to continue to dominate the boards as they have all season long. The Rockets were the No. 1 rebounding team in the NBA and had their best rebounding season since the 1971-72 season.

Another key is how the referees call the game. The Rockets are a aggressive defensive minded team and how the officials call the game will be a major factor in this series. Another key and probably the most important one on the defensive end is containing Jimmy Butler.

The Warriors knew they needed to change quickly as their championship window closed. They traded for Butler right before the trade deadline, and since Butler joined the team, the Warriors are 23-7. Butler along with Steph Curry were the main reasons the Warriors were able to win their play-in game Tuesday.

Butler finished with a game-high 38 points, and the Warriors needed every one of those points as the game came down to the last couple of minutes. This Warriors team does not have as many weapons as it has in the past, and for them to win on a consistent basis, Butler has to be the Robin to Curry’s Batman.

That makes containing Butler a top priority for the Rockets. If you can slow down Butler, it forces players like Gary Payton II, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski. In the Rockets’ only matchup with the Warriors since they signed Butler, the Rockets came away with a 106-96 victory.

One of the reasons for the Rockets win was that they held Butler in check for most of the game. Butler only finished with 13 points as he was not a factor for most of the game. The primary defender on Butler that game was Dillon Brooks and that assignment will fall to him again Sunday.

Curry scored three points in that Rockets win, and you have to believe he will not have another game like that in the playoffs, so slowing down Butler has to be the Rockets' No. 1 priority. If the Rockets can force other players to beat them, they have an excellent chance of defeating the Warriors for the first time in the playoffs.

The Rockets and Warriors open their seven-game series tonight in Houston at 8:30 p.m.