Rockets G5 defeated the Warriors: Lao Fan and Amen are heroes, and the substitutes under Uduka are embarrassed!

On the morning of May 1, 2025, Game 5 of the first round of the NBA playoffs in the 24-25 season was held at the Toyota Center Arena, the home court of the Houston Rockets. The Rockets, who fought against the enemy, showed their tenacious fighting spirit and excellent team strength in the face of their old enemy Warriors, finally defeated their opponents 131-116, rewriting the series score to 2-3, successfully continuing the hope of this season. In this game, VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Amen Thompson became the team's biggest contributors to the team's winning goal, but the Rockets' substitute's poor performance in the fourth quarter really made coach Uduka sweat.

Fierce battle of the whole game: The Rockets started with a strong force and led by a big score in the first quarter.

1. In the first quarter: The Rockets were as powerful as rainbows and established a double-digit advantage

At the beginning of the game, the Rockets showed their determination to break the boat, and the players quickly got into the state. VanVleet took the lead and he took decisive action from outside the three-point line. The basketball went into the net hollow and scored the first point for the Rockets. Then, he used his rich game experience to continuously break through the Warriors' defense, either score by himself, or create excellent offensive opportunities for his teammates. Dillon was also unambiguous on the wing. He hit a three-pointer and actively fought on the defensive end, creating many obstacles to the Warriors' offense. Amen Thompson fully utilized his outstanding athletic talent, hitting the inside again and again, causing damage. Under their leadership, the Rockets made a wonderful start of 16-5, instantly igniting the enthusiasm of all the fans, and the cheers in the Toyota Center are deafening.

The Warriors seemed a little slow in the opening stage, with core players such as Curry and Butler feeling cold and making shots repeatedly. Although Zhu Meng Green worked extremely hard on the defensive end and tried to stabilize the situation through active defense and rebound protection, it was still difficult to stop the Rockets' fierce offensive. At the end of the first quarter, the Rockets led the Warriors by 16 points 40-24, laying a good foundation for the game.

2. Second quarter: Firepower continues, and the half-time advantage expands to 27 points

and enters the second quarter. The Rockets' offensive firepower does not decrease at all. Shin Kyung showed strong dominance in the inside, scoring continuously with solid steps and soft touch. Amen Thompson continued to play a key role in both offense and defense. His fast break counterattack and one-stop score after steals made the Warriors unpredictable. VanVleet's touch was still hot, and he hit a three-pointer again. The Rockets played a smooth team basketball in this quarter, and the players cooperated tacitly, and found their open teammates through exquisite passes many times, scoring easily. On the Warriors, although Curry gradually regained some of his touch, his overall offensive efficiency was still not high, and the performance of other players was also relatively sluggish. At the end of the half, the Rockets led the Warriors by 27 points 76-49, and the huge gap gave home fans the hope of a team's reversal of the series.

3. Third quarter: The main player rested, the score difference remained

in the third quarter, Rockets coach Uduka began to replace substitutes one after another, so that the main players could get a rest. The Warriors seized the opportunity and launched a small counterattack under the leadership of the substitute player. Podjemsky and Payton Jr. scored consecutively, narrowing the gap a little. However, the Rockets' substitute player is not to be outdone. Langdale is active in the inside, grabbing offensive rebounds many times and completing a second offense. Smith also made a three-pointer from the outside, stabilizing the situation. In the competition between substitutes between the two sides, the Rockets have always maintained a certain lead. At the end of the third quarter, the Rockets led the Warriors by 27 points 107-80, and the initiative in the game was still firmly in the hands of the Rockets.

4. Last quarter: The substitutes were sluggish, and the main force saved the game and secured the victory

However, in the crucial fourth quarter, the Rockets' substitute players made serious mistakes. They made many pass mistakes and missed shots on the offensive end, and were also full of loopholes on the defensive end, allowing the Warriors' substitute players to make a fierce counterattack. The Warriors' Santos and Moody made three-pointers in a row, narrowing the gap to about 15 points in just a few minutes. Seeing this, Uduka had to send VanVleet and Dillon again. After the main players came on the court, the situation quickly stabilized. VanVleet hit a key three-pointer, and Dillon also scored through a tough breakthrough, helping the Rockets widen the gap again. In the end, the Rockets defeated the Warriors 131-116 and successfully won this crucial game.

The key to winning: core explosion, tough defense, excellent teamwork

(1) The core players performed bravely

VanVleet continued the outstanding touch of the previous game, making 4 of 6 three-pointers, scoring 26 points efficiently, and 1 rebound and 2 assists. In the game, he is not only the team's offensive core, but also the team's commander. Through precise passes, he connects the team's offense. Dillon Brooks also performed well, scoring 24 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists, and he effectively restricted the Warriors' core players on the defensive end and was able to contribute points to the team steadily on the offensive end.

Amen Thompson showed his comprehensiveness, scoring 25 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 breaks and 3 blocks. Statistics show that Amen Thompson is the third player in NBA history to play this data in a single game in the playoffs. The previous two were Hashem Olajuwon (1986) and Rick Barry (1976). His breakthrough and defense have become an important factor in the Rockets' winning. The outstanding performance of these three core players in this game laid a solid foundation for the Rockets' victory. After the game, VanVleet said: "We know the importance of this game. Everyone is giving their all. We will not give up this season easily."

(II) Excellent team defense

Rockets have performed well in this game, and they have successfully limited the Warriors' offense.. Throughout the game, the Warriors shot just 43% from the field and 35% from three-pointers. When defending Curry and Butler, the Warriors' core players, the Rockets adopted a multi-player double-team strategy, which greatly restricted them when attacking. Curry made 4 of 12 shots, scoring only 13 points, while Butler made 2 of 10 shots, scoring only 8 points. But it has to be said that the Rockets were actually snatched a record 22 frontcourt rebounds by the Warriors in the fourth quarter, which is really inappropriate!

Player rating: Some people shine, some people need to improve

1. VanVleet: 9 points

VanVleet's performance in this game was almost perfect. His three-pointer was like the Rockets' "nuclear weapon", hitting it again and again, destroying the Warriors' defense line. But to be honest, he did a very average job as a starting point guard in organizing the team's offense, and he only had 2 assists in the game. His calmness and decisiveness in the game also stabilized the morale of the team at critical moments. He is one of the biggest contributors to the Rockets' victory in this game and deserves it. After the game, VanVleet said: "Our goal is to win this series. This victory is just the beginning, and we will continue to work hard." According to statistics, VanVleet averaged only 11.3 points per game, shooting 26.8% from the field and shooting 20.7% from three-pointers. However, in the last two games, Van Vleet averaged 25.5 points per game, shooting percentage reached 61.5%, and three-point shooting percentage reached 66.7%. His state recovered significantly, which is definitely a good sign!

2. Dillon Brooks: 9 points

Dillon has both good offense and defense in this game. His defense against Curry and Butler caused great trouble to the opponent, making it impossible for them to easily find a mobile phone when attacking. On the offensive end, he was able to contribute points to the team steadily, and his tough playing style also inspired the fighting spirit of his teammates. His fighting spirit on the court and his concentration on the game are worth learning from by all teammates. Dillon said after the game: "We are going to show our strength at home. This victory gave us great confidence. We will continue to maintain this state next."

3. Amen Thompson: 9 points

Amen Thompson performed comprehensively in this game. His breakthroughs and defense made the Warriors unable to defend. He scored 25 points in the game, grabbed 6 rebounds and sent 3 assists, which played a crucial role in the game. He performed particularly well in the fast break, using his speed and explosiveness many times to create scoring opportunities for the team. His outstanding performance also allowed people to see his great potential. Amen Thompson said: "I just do what I should do on the court to help the team win. This game is very important to us and we will continue to work hard."

4, Shin Kyung: 7 points

Shin Kyung scored 15 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists and triple-double in this game. His dominance and passing ability in the inside played an important role in the Rockets' victory. He can use his physical advantages to score strongly in the inside, and at the same time, he can create opportunities for his teammates on the outside through accurate passes. However, he also made some mistakes in the game and needs to be improved in subsequent games. Shen Jing said after the game: "I still have a lot to improve in the game. I will strengthen this practice in training and make more contributions to the team."

5. Jaylen Green: 6 points

Jaylen Green scored 11 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists in this game, and his performance was relatively dull. On the offensive end, his shooting percentage is not high and he does not provide the team with stable outside firepower support as before. But on the defensive end, he can still actively participate in the team's defense and interfere with the Warriors players. He needs to adjust his state in subsequent games, improve his offensive efficiency, and make more contributions to the team. Green said after the game: "I didn't play well in this game. I will summarize the experience and learn from my lessons and find my form in the next game."

6. Other players scored:

Landale: 6 points; Holiday, 7 points;

Smith: 6 points (I can still only shoot three points, depending on the feel, and I don't make much progress)

Rockets substitute players (overall): 4 Points (Uduka led the lead in the fourth quarter and was sent to the court, but was beaten by the Warriors' substitute and was in a mess. Xiao Xie was still too young, his current level was not enough to play in the NBA, so he had to practice well this summer. It's a pity that the White Demons only got 1 minute of substitute time. I wonder what Uduka thought. Is the relationship between the two so bad?)

Conclusion and Outlook

This game is a crucial victory for the Rockets, which allows the team to see hope of reversing the series in desperate situation. However, the team's performance in the fourth quarter also exposed some problems and needs to be solved in the next game.

Next, the Rockets will rush to the Warriors' home court to meet even more difficult challenges. The Warriors will also make adjustments at home and strive to end the series in Game 6. I believe this round of the series will become more exciting and intense, let us wait and see how the two teams will perform in the next game.