Was Game 5 the Flame that Ignites the Houston Rockets?

Simply put, before Game 5 of their first-round series against the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets looked dead in the water. They had no answer on defense when it came to the Warriors' one-two punch of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, and they seemingly couldn't buy a bucket on offense.

Houston responded in the best way possible. It came back swinging and made its mark, winning Game 5 131-116 in an offensive outburst. The team looked completely different, doing almost everything right to force a Game 6 in Golden State.

The Rockets got big-time performances from their guards, who struggled to show up for the majority of the series. Fred VanVleet, the veteran leader who needed to come alive up to this point, did so with 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field. Jalen Green struggled once again in the scoring department, but he still made solid contributions with 11 points and eight rebounds.

The Rockets' star, Alperen Sengun, also found some trouble scoring, but had no problem doing everything else at an elite level. He posted 15 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and two blocks, nearly notching a triple-double.

It was Houston's forwards that dominated the game on both sides of the floor. Dillon Brooks, a known playoff agitator, got himself going with 24 points, while his partner in crime, Amen Thompson, had a vintage performance.

Thompson was perhaps the MVP of the game, posting 25 points, six rebounds, three assists, five steals, and three blocks. The second-year player was the definition of a Swiss Army knife, something he has been praised for this entire season.

OH MY AMEN 😱 pic.twitter.com/mBmtUxCuCA
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) May 1, 2025

This was the ultimate gut check for Houston, and it responded with a much-needed performance. The Rockets came out of the gates firing and never looked back, scoring 40 points in the first quarter and 76 points in the first half.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the night was Houston's ability to slow BOTH Curry and Butler. Curry had shown weaknesses at times during this series, while Butler was the one pest that could never go away. The Rockets finally saw him break last night as he struggled to find any momentum. Golden State's duo combined for just 21 points on 6-of-22 shooting.

The Rockets need to continue to force tough looks from Curry and Butler if they want to force a Game 7. It will be tough to do so on the road, but as long as Houston can ramp up the physicality and push the pace on the offense against aging veterans, the team has a good shot at a comeback.