Steve Kerr Admits Mistake in Warriors-Rockets Playoff Game

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr got honest about a mistake against the Houston Rockets

Apr 13, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr looks on against the LA Clippers during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The Golden State Warriors escaped the play-in tournament with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies, securing the seventh seed in the Western Conference and now face the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.

This is a very interesting matchup between a veteran-led, star-studded Warriors team and a physical, well-rounded Rockets team. Luckily for Golden State, they were able to steal Game 1 in Houston to take a quick 1-0 series lead.

In Game 1, the Warriors were carried by their star power. Steph Curry dropped 31 points on 12-19 shooting from the field and 5-9 from three-point range, while Jimmy Butler chipped in 25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals on 10-19 shooting.

PLAYOFF STEPH & JIMMY LEAD THE WARRIORS TO A GAME 1 W 💪🔥

Steph: 31 PTS, 12-19 FG, 5 3PM
Jimmy: 25 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST, 5 STL pic.twitter.com/8TKIDbwnKO

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 21, 2025

A major concern after Golden State's win was their rotation, as Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler played a combined 82 minutes, which is far more than head coach Steve Kerr wants. After their Game 1 win, Kerr admitted that playing Butler for that long was a mistake.

"I thought where I made a mistake honestly was, we were rolling in that third quarter and I kept Jimmy (Butler) out there because we were rolling," Kerr said. "I thought I played him too much in the second half. I definitely need to look at the rotations and make sure we're getting guys the rest they need."

Steve Kerr said he thought he made a “mistake” leaving Jimmy Butler in too long in the third quarter of Game 1. But he says he’s comfortable playing Butler “40 to 42” minutes nightly in playoffs. pic.twitter.com/X55IPglDjm

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 22, 2025

Butler played 42 minutes in Sunday's win, which is in the range that Kerr expects Butler to play.

"I think Jimmy's fine playing 40 to 42 minutes," Kerr said. "He's different."

The biggest problem that Kerr has with Butler playing 42 total minutes is that he played 22 out of 24 possible minutes in the second half. While Butler may be able to stretch his limits for a game, doing that in a playoff series could certainly catch up to him.