Rockets vs Warriors Free Pick, NBA Free Picks, NBA Predictions 5/2/25
J.A. Cavalier- May 2
- 2 min read
HOUSTON @ GOLDEN STATE (GSW -5.5, 203.5)
NBA ODDS, NBA PREDICTIONS, NBA PREVIEWS
ROCKETS @ WARRIORS 5/2/25
Warriors coach Steve Kerr benched his frontline players for the rest of Game 5 in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs after making a wholesale substitution of all five starters with 5:50 left in the third quarter and Golden State trailing by 29 points on Wednesday.
The Houston Rockets narrowed Golden State's lead in the best-of-seven series to 3-2 and forced Game 6 on Friday in San Francisco after extending their lead by a basket later and overcoming a fourth-quarter rally from the Warriors' reserves. The team won 131-116.
It was an intriguing choice to wager on the outcome with almost eighteen minutes remaining. Golden State preemptively shifted its focus to a second chance to finish out the resilient, young Rockets, as none of the Warriors' starters played more than 26 minutes in the defeat.
In addition to their explosive start that gave them an 18-point lead in the first quarter, the Rockets used their superior athleticism to stifle opposition in Game 5. The Rockets consistently put pressure on the Warriors on defense while running early and frequently on offense. Although Houston displayed those qualities in Games 3 and 4, they had not been able to maintain their success.
When it comes to playoff experience, the Warriors continue to have a significant advantage. In Game 5 of the 2022 Western Conference semifinal series, Golden State lost to the Memphis Grizzlies by 39 points on the road. However, they won the next game in the Bay Area and defeated the Grizzlies. Not surprisingly, considering that kind of history, the Warriors seemed unfazed by Wednesday's loss.
Golden State is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games. Since acquiring Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline, the Warriors have the best defense in the NBA. The Rockets are also one of the better defensive teams in the NBA. Despite the defense, the Over is 13-7 in Houston’s last 20 games.
Houston has not had any sort of sustained success against the Warriors. The Rockets are 4-16 SU in the last 20 against Golden State. Houston is also just 1-9 SU when playing the Warriors in San Francisco.
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COACH RICK FREE PICK:
JALEN GREEN UNDER 15.5 POINTS
Green’s 38 points in Game 2 was a huge outlier. In the other four games in the series he hasn’t scored more than 11. In fact, Green has gone Under this prop in 7 of his last 8 games. In Game 2, Green attempted a ridiculous 18 threes. In the last two games of the series, he hasn’t attempted more than eight total shots from the floor. Green has scored 15 or less in 7 of his last 9 games against Golden State..
