Can the Warriors survive Game 7 against a fearless Rockets squad?
This isn’t the Golden State we’ve come to revere. Not the dynasty built on poise, precision, and playoff savvy. Not the team that once silenced arenas with a single Steph Curry flick from 30 feet as if it were a Warriors Game 7 moment.
This? This was disheartening.
Game 6 wasn’t just a loss — it was an unraveling. At Chase Center. In front of Dub Nation. With a 3-1 series lead slipping through their fingers, the Warriors stumbled hard, falling 115-107 to the Houston Rockets — a young, hungry team playing with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
And now? It’s do-or-die. A win-or-go-home Warriors Game 7 in Houston looms. History is watching. Because Golden State is one loss away from joining the list of teams that have infamously blown a 3-1 playoff lead.
Udoka Outcoached the Champs
Ime Udoka deserves his flowers. His Rockets have exposed every chink in Golden State’s once-impenetrable armor. He’s running a double-big lineup with Alperen Şengün and Steven Adams that crushes the Warriors’ lack of size. He’s unleashed defenders who pester, strip, and outrun — Houston has turned turnovers into layups like clockwork.
Zone defense? It’s been a riddle. One the Warriors still haven’t solved, especially leading up to this crucial Warriors Game 7.
More Than Xs and Os — It’s About Heart
But strategy alone didn’t sink Golden State.
Effort did.
They looked flat. Uninspired. A step slow. That bizarre moment — when they intentionally fouled Adams and still gave up two offensive boards to Şengün — said it all.
Down two to start the fourth, they mentally checked out. Didn’t even line up properly after the break. Fred VanVleet promptly drilled a four-point play six seconds into the quarter. From there, it spiraled. Golden State missed 15 of their next 16 shots.
Where was the fire that ignites them during a Warriors Game 7?
Jimmy and Steph Can’t Do It Alone
Yes, Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler tried to carry the load — combining for 56 points. But help was nowhere to be found. Moses Moody added 13. That was it. No one else cracked double digits.
This version of the Warriors — without reliable third and fourth scoring options — feels vulnerable. And now they’re heading to enemy territory, facing a confident Rockets team that’s already thrown haymakers and tasted blood.
Game 7 Isn’t Just About Survival — It’s a Legacy Game
This is more than just a series. It’s a referendum on what remains of the Warriors’ identity.
Can they summon the urgency? Can they reestablish the principles that built a dynasty?
Or are we witnessing the slow sunset of Golden State’s golden era?
