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[Houston Rockets]

Rockets tumble to Warriors 95-85

Bright Spots | Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images

Familiar Foe. Familiar Problems. Familiar Result.

For a brand new Rockets team, reaching the playoffs for the first time, this all felt very familiar.

Familiar, one, because the Rockets appear to be snakebit, as an NBA team against the Warriors.

Familiar, also, because it was essentially a Greatest Hits of Rockets 2024-25 Problems.

Let’s deal with the Warriors.

The Warriors played a good, not great game. Their experience, their planning, and their ability to adjust were all in evidence. Steph Curry had a great shooting night, of course, and hit a bunch of shots that seem impossible, but he makes routinely. The Warriors went out of their way to keep him from Amen Thompson, who didn’t have a good game, anyway.

The Warriors got the Special Warriors touches from the refs they usually get. Curry running into VanVleet at full speed, from behind. Foul on VanVleet, that sort of thing, but overall it wasn’t as bad as we’ve seen it in the past. It’s not to blame.

Golden State played good defense, but the Rockets missed lay ups, and close in shots, and damn near every three they took, open, contested, whatever, they mostly clanked to the tune of 6-29 from 3pt range.

However the Golden State defense, while not all-world on defense, specifically geared their efforts to challenge the Rockets half-court offense. They dared the Rockets to make shots from outside, and made shots inside very difficult by packing all of the paint, if they could. Moreover, they sent a double at to any Rocket dribbling near the paint, and dared them to make an accurate pass out. They Rockets didn’t do that much at all. It worked as well as the Warriors could have hoped. The Rockets scored their lowest point total of the season, more because no real answer has been found, all season, other than “make more shots” and “run more”.

If you had told me the Warriors scored 95, with Steph Curry going 12-19, and I hadn’t watched the game, I would have assumed the Rockets won.

That brings us to the Rockets. As usual, there wasn’t much wrong with their defense. In fact, it was good. Curry had 11 points off makes that probably only he could accomplish (3 3pters, and one HORSE shot, as well as some very difficult layups).

The Rockets switched well, they tended to cover shooters well. They kept fouling down, despite things like Golden State hitting the free throw bonus less than three minutes into the third quarter. Defense is rarely the Rockets problem, and I wonder, as I often do, if Ime Udoka and company spent the whole week off only prepping defense. I’m sure that’s not the case, but the Rockets seemed totally unprepared to counter much of anything the Warriors defense did on offense.

Another old nemesis of this season’s Rockets appeared tonight. The offensive disaster quarter, where the Rockets offense seems like a snowball rolling down as snowy slope, but reversed. The Rockets offense went up the hill, and got smaller, and smaller, and worse, and worse, along the way.

The Rockets won three of the four quarters. They lost the 2nd quarter bad. How bad? 29-13 bad. Thirteen. Points. And this is where Udoka comes in for scrutiny.

Despite calling a bunch of timeouts in that quarter, and the third, when the Warriors lead ballooned to 23, did the Rockets actually run a play? Some action likely to spring a scorer for an easy basket? Not that I could tell. It looked like “Same Old, Same Old” on offense every time. The same high PNR, same pass into offense trapped in a corner, that clogs up, and shuts down, if a Rocket can’t beat his man one on one. And even if he did, the Warriors were so committed to helping on the driver around the paint, and dropping a third defender to the rim, that even if the Rocket beat the double, or help, there was another defender waiting at the rim.

The there was the utterly worthless offensive night from the Rockets starting backcourt. With the exception of an outburst against Miami late in the season, Fred VanVleet, frankly, has looked cooked. He can’t make shots. He can’t beat defenders one on one. His dribbling creates close to zero threat against a defense that more or less welcomes his shooting. A point guard in an offense as basic and lacking in creativity and ideas as the Rockets desperate NEEDS a PG or initiator who can create easy looks off the threat of his own offense.

That threat just isn’t present right now with VanVleet. Tonight he compounded the problem by shooting bad shots, early in the clock, again and again. He was trying, it seems, to lead the team, but he lead himself into a dismal 4-19 shooting and 2-13 from three. I was literally shocked when he made a shot tonight. He had 7 assists, but I’d suggest that only two of them were good looks created by FVV. By jacking bad shots early in the clock, or aimlessly dribbling, FVV isn’t even providing the offensive organization the Rockets need.

I like Fred. But his night was that bad. He’s unplayable like this, but Ime will insist on playing him.

Jalen Green had a bad shooting night. I’d differentiate from VanVleet in that Green did not shoot a bunch of terrible shots. He went 1-4 from three, not 2-13. Mostly he missed shots at the rim. I’d argue that many of those misses came off fouls, but he, like all the Rockets but one, simply couldn’t make close in shots at all tonight. Jalen didn’t really turn the ball over, he didn’t foul, and he grabbed 8 rebounds and he played good defense, which is all you can ask against Golden State. I’d say maybe three of his shot attempts were plain bad ideas.

Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams were the main bright spots tonight. Sengun came out ready, and played well. He went 11-18, grabbed 9 rebounds, had an assist, and three steals. He unfortunately had five turnovers as well. I’d very much link the turnovers and low assist total the Warriors defense, which not only attacked (and I do mean attacked) the Rockets dribble near the paint, but also made it very hard to drive and kick, or for Sengun to dime anyone from the paint.

Adams was his usual forceful self. He was part of a lineup that provided a turning point in the third quarter for the Rockets. He grabbed 12 rebounds in 20 minutes, 7 offensive, and helped the Rockets shut down the paint. He went 3-4 shooting, and 0-2 from the FT line.

The Rockets did not accomplish their trick of turning offensive rebounds to points, as they couldn’t hit shots in close, and they turned the ball over 16 times, to 11 for Golden State, so they didn’t really turn rebounding, or turnovers into offense, the key to making their somewhat flaccid half-court offense a bit better.

The main problem, in the end, though, was shooting

Bad free throw shooting: 11-20. Same as it ever was.

VanVleet - 4-19

Green - 3-15

Brooks - 3-9

Eason - 3-10

Thompson - 4-9

Really a murder’s row of bad shooting.

Jabari Smith shot it very well, but of course, not often, and VanVleet refused to look for him, preferring to cack three after three after three. Jabari’s problem was his usual problem, his terrible handle and bad passing. He managed more turnovers (4) than shot attempts (3). He did go 4-4 from the line. Why not use him more from the corner? Ask Ime, ask Fred.

Finally, there were inexplicable decisions from Udoka. I’ll hit a couple of highlights. He played a lineup that had literally played zero regular season minutes before tonight, in the Rockets first playoff game in years. He decided to replace the lineup that had largely brought the Rockets back, within three points, from being down 23 points, with, you guessed it, more FVV shots. That’s really when the Rockets lost this game, when Udoka put Fred in around mid fourth quarter.

In the end, that’s a long list of problems, some very fixable. If the Rockets had held the Warriors to 95, and played well, but lost anyway, that would be fatal to their hopes, I think. Instead it’s very possible to hope that a very young team, overall, in its first playoff game, didn’t get smoked, despite playing so badly, might turn things around.

It’s such a familiar situation, despite the new Rockets cast, but there remains hope, maybe a quite a bit.

We’ll know a lot more on Wednesday. Can the Rockets play better? Certainly. Can Ime adjust anything on offense? Bring some fresh approaches? Or do the Rockets just have to try harder, and make more shots? We will find out.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...95-85-nba-playoffs-steph-curry-alperen-sengun

 

[Houston Rockets]

VOTE: Should the Rockets bring back Fred VanVleet?

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

What should the Rockets do with one of their top veterans?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Houston Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Back in August, we asked you if this would be Fred VanVleet’s last year as a Rocket. At that time, 65 percent of you thought it would be Fred’s last year in Houston.

We thought it was important to ask something similar now, especially in light of VanVleet’s terrible game one performance in Houston’s loss to the Golden State Warriors. VanVleet had 10 points and 7 assists for the Rockets but shot just 4-for-19 from the floor in the defeat. He’s shot it terribly all year, finishing the season with a 37.8 percent field goal percentage, his worst since his rookie season.

However, he was one of the main catalysts of Houston’s big turnaorund. Despite a down year for VanVleet, he was coach Ime Udoka’s coach on the floor for the Rockets, and despite his fewest points and assists since the 2018-2019 season, he was one of the important pieces that helped lead Houston to the second seed in the Western Conference this season.

After this season, VanVleet has $44 million team option, meaning the Rockets can decide to bring him back at that rate, not bring him back at all, or bring him back on a restructured/cheaper deal.

So we’re asking the question in a bit of a different way, and we’ll also compare the results to the beginning of the season. So we’re asking, should the Rockets bring back Fred VanVleet? You have three options of answers on this one.

Thanks for voting. We’ll be back in a few days with the results.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...-houston-rockets-bring-back-fred-vanvleet-nba

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets Vs Warriors 2025 Playoffs Round One, Game One

Make it happen, youngsters. | Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images

We’re finally here! Let’s go Rockets!

Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors​

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Location: Toyota Center, Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network, TNT/Max/Mox/Mux

Radio: SportsTalk790

Online: Rockets App

Gametime: 8:30 PM

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Probable Starting Lineups​

Rockets: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun

Warriors: Steph Curry, Bradin Brodziemski, Moby Mooby, The Tomballer, Sociopath of The Year

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Injuries​

Rockets: JaeSean Tate, Jock Landale

Warriors: None

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Officials​

Referees: James Capers (good at Bid Whist), Ben Taylor, Gediminas Petraitis, Rodney Mott

Why, oh, why would a Rockets blog writer be concerned with this? It shall remain a mystery forever.

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Here we go! The Rockets sunk down into the depths of the NBA, but now La Boca Vista Phase III has arrived. The Rockets aren’t just a playoff team, but the #2 seed in the Bestern Conference. Of course OKC ran away with #1, and the rest were tightly packed, including the Rockets, but in that dogfight, the Rockets, with arguably one of the harder schedules in the NBA (I refer to schedule, not just opponent here.) came out #2. No one else did, just the Rockets. That, in itself, is something to celebrate.

I’ll caveat this game. No matter the outcome, don’t get too high, or too low. Don’t set a narrative of victory, or defeat. NBA playoff series are often long wars of attrition. The core Rockets are new to all this, and they may come out over hyped. They may lose. They might win. In any case, this is just game one. Celebrate a win, but don’t mourn a defeat too much, unless something disastrous happens.

That said, this is a team with a bright future and I like the Rockets to win this series, and lay some ghosts, that none of the Rockets playing, or coaching, were there for, to rest.

Be sure to join me and Armin on Playback. There’s a chat, you can come up on “stage” and air your views (within reason) and watch the game, too.

Let’s Go Rockets!

Join us on Playback!​

Make sure to check out The Dream Shake’s official Playback stream to watch games with us! To sign up:

• Head over to playback.tv and create an account with your email address
• Connect and select your NBA League Pass login as your streaming account (sign up for League Pass here first if you don’t have it)
• Go to https://www.playback.tv/thedreamshake and hit the JOIN button
• Make sure to activate push notifications so you know when we’re going live

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...-vs-warriors-2025-playoffs-round-one-game-one

 

[Houston Rockets]

FanDuel offering the No Sweat Parlay for Rockets-Warriors Game 2

Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images

Get in on some betting action.

Happy Game 2 of Rockets vs. Warriors. I am excited to let you all know that FanDuel is offering a special “No Sweat, Same Game” Parlay every weekend during the NBA Playoffs. These offers are available for both new and returning FanDuel users as long as you have an account. All you need to do is create an SGP for the NBA Playoffs action this weekend. If it doesn’t win, your bonus bets will be returned! Here is the link https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba

How it operates-​

To get your No Sweat Token, click “Claim Now” on the main page. One No Sweat Token will be sent to you after you click “Claim Now” on the promotion. You can gamble on any NBA Playoff game that weekend using your No Sweat Token on a 3+ Leg Same Game Parlay or Same Game Parlay Plus wager.

To be eligible, your wager’s final odds must be +400 or greater. For example, -300 or +100 would not be eligible, while +450 and +600 would. Place your wager after building your 3+ Leg SGP / SGP+ and turning on your No-Sweat Token!

The use of your No-Sweat Token is subject to a maximum refund. To view more information, users will need to log in.

What can you bet on?- ​

FanDuel has you covered on Four Leg Same Day Parlays, for example, there's a four-way parlay with +481 odds (Pay $10.00 to win $48.18). The four separate legs of the parlay are for Jabari Smith to score 10+ Points, Alperen Sengun to record 8+ Rebounds, Brandin Podziemski to Record 4+ Assists, and Brandin Podziemski to make two or more threes.

If parlays are not your cup of tea, you can bet on who will score the first basket (including free throws). Alperen Sengun has the best odds at +410, followed by Jimmy Butler at +600, who is tied by Jalen Green also at +600, then Stephen Curry at +650, Brandin Podziemski at +850, and then Amen Thompson and Moses Moody in last at +950.

You can also bet on players to score more than 10, more than 15, more than 20 points more than 25, up to over 45 points.

Additionally, there are bets for made threes starting at over one going all the way to more than 10.

If scoring is not your thing, there are bets to Record 4+ Rebounds, to record 6+ Rebounds, to Record 8+ Rebounds, to Record 10+ Rebounds to record over 16 rebounds. There is the same type of bet for assists, blocks, and steals, ranging from over two to over 10.

You can also bet on which player will record either a double-double or triple-double, along with individual over-undersfor a single player in points, rebounds, assists, and made threes. If you are feeling spicy, though, you can bet on individual quarter scoring numbers.

There you have it! Hopefully y'all can enjoy some of the deals we have over at FanDuel. Make sure to bet responsibly and stay safe. As always, go Rockets!

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...-houston-rockets-golden-state-warriors-game-2

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets bounce back in Game 2 winning 109-94 over the Warriors

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

It’s a series now... Rockets head to San Fran tied 1-1

After giving up Game 1 at home on Sunday, it would be crucial for the Houston Rockets to get off to a strong start tonight taking on Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Ball security was a point of emphasis for Ime Udoka as the Rockets gave up 25 points off 17 turnovers in Game 1.

Early the Rockets focus on protecting the ball was evident, but unfortunately, they had some late turnovers in the quarter and got in foul. Dillon Brooks picked up two quick fouls, and Amen Thompson picked up his third foul late in the first quarter. However, the Rockets were able to hold the Warriors to 31.6 percent shooting and only 18 points in the quarter. The Rockets shot 45.5 percent from the field and made six free-throws adding up to 28 points giving them a 10-point lead headed into the second quarter. Jalen Green and Tari Eason each had seven points in the quarter.

Jimmy Butler suffered a pelvis contusion in the 1st quarter when Amen Thompson inadvertently undercut him while he was in the air trying to grab a rebound. Steve Kerr would have to go to the bottom of his bench and was forced to play Jonathan Kuminga who although he has been a Rocket killer, has been in Kerr’s doghouse this season. With Stephen Curry playing limited minutes and Butler out of the game the Warriors were still able to hang around despite being outrebounded and out-shot.

Dillon Brooks spent nearly the entire second quarter on the bench in foul trouble and Amen Thompson did not play in the second quarter, but the Rockets defense held the Warriors to 41.5 percent shooting and outrebounded them by 11. The also made 13-of-15 from the free-throw line and ultimately took a 60-46 lead into the half. Jalen Green was the high-point man with 15 points on 4-of-11 shooting. Sengun had 13 points and 7 rebounds. Steph curry led the way for the Warriors with 11 points.

The Rockets were able to keep the momentum in their favor in the third quarter. With three minutes to go in the quarter the Rockets had held the Warriors to 6-of-17 shooting, but five of those shots were three-pointers. In the final three minutes the Warriors went on a run that cut the lead to 11, but Ime Udoka called a timeout and the Rockets went on an 8-3 run themselves to head into the fourth quarter with an 87-71 lead.

In the fourth quarter the Rockets got the lead up to 20 points before the Warriors ran off five straight points after turning the ball over twice, forcing Ime Udoka to call timeout. The Warriors kept hanging around which is enough to make any Rockets h fan nervous, regardless of the score. With 7:16 remaining a foul was called on Jalen Green that was upgraded to a flagrant foul penalty one.

A free-throw from Draymond Green cut the Rockets lead to 91-80. After that the Rockets went on a 7-0 run capped off with Jalen Green laying the ball in for his 34th and 35th points of the game. He would finish the game with 38 points, and the Rockets would win 109-94, making it back-to-back games holding the Warriors under 100 points.

Jalen Green tied a franchise record with eight three-pointers in the game, Alperen Sengun was three assists shy of a triple-double with 17 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists. Tari Eason added 14 points off the bench as the Rockets won their first playoff game in five years. The physical series heads to San Francisco tied 1-1. Game 3 will be Saturday at 7:30 PM CST.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...over-the-warriors-nba-jalen-green-steph-curry

 

[Houston Rockets]

Good Green, Bad Green - Rockets vs. Warriors Game Two narratives in full spring blossom

I’m The Good Green | Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

Good Greens, Bad Greens, You Know We’ve Had Our Share

That was quite a game from Green last night, good and bad. Good from the sporadically excellent Jalen Green, and bad from the consistently histrionic and awful Draymond Green. Rockets fans shouted their disapproval of Draymond, which is of course what Type B Cluster sorts typically love best, but they weren’t wrong. The wrong here is the supremely self-righteous Steve Kerr whining about about it, based on the factual history of Draymond’s behavior.

The game also featured a bad fall on the part of The Tomballer, Jimmy Butler, when he was undercut by Amen Thompson. This took Jimmy out of the game, which certainly dimmed the Warriors hopes of winning the contest. Some are viewing this as a dirty play. This is simply untrue. The play that injured The Tomballer’s ass was unfortunate, but by no means dirty, as will be demonstrated below. The talk around it is, at best, tedious, shouty, sportstalk fodder and best ignored, and at worst, familiar self-pitying bathos of some entitled Warriors fans, and best mocked and derided for what it is.

Let’s deal with The Case of The Affronted Behind first. It wasn’t dirty. Just stop with that, certain Warriors stans, and other conspiracy weirdos.

Let’s go through the sequence of events.

1. Amen Thompson shoots and misses, he attempts to follow his shot for a rebound.
2. Amen tries to slip between Steven Adams and Draymond Green for the offensive board.
3. Brandin Podziemsky pushes Steven Adams.
4. Steven Adams backs into Amen Thompson, due to the Podz Push.
5. Thompson then pinballs off Dramond Green, who is backing into the rebound,
6. Draymond is, I think, trying to box out either Thompson or Adams with his “posterior pelvic region”, and Amen and Draymond’s feet get tangled.
7. Some have said this is dirty play by Draymond Green, but I don’t think so, and I never presume innocence of Draymond.
8. Thompson at this point starts to lose his footing, and stumbles forward, putting his hand out for balance.
9. Thompson’s hand, head, then shoulder, collides with the backs of Butler’s knees while he’s in mid-air, jumping for the rebound.
10. Thompson falls face first to the floor.
11. Butler falls hard, and flat, on his back and “posterior pelvic region”.
12. Cue controversy.

Here are a couple of videos, so you can see the sequence for yourself.

Here you can see that Thompson is stumbling, and has lost his balance and control of his movement. This makes sense, as why would anyone lead with their head into someone’s leg if they could lead with their shoulder? Amen Thompson is literally the quickest and most coordinated large human being I’ve ever seen in my life. If he chose to do this, he’d use his arm or his shoulder, not his vulnerable head and neck.

In this one you can see here the chain reaction of events that lead to the collision. The push by Podz on Adams, Thompson hitting Adams, then, almost immediately, hitting Draymond’s “posterior pelvic region”, then stumbling into Butler.

For a Tomballer or Warriors fan this is upsetting, and for me, a Thompson fan, it’s upsetting to hear him called out, but neither the play, nor Thompson, is dirty. It’s an unfortunate accident in a contact sport.

Don’t believe me? How about a disinterested party? The well-respected Sam Vecine from The Athletic’s “Game Theory” podcast last night spoke on it. Even if I’m a Rockets stan, Sam Vecine definitely isn’t. His thoughts are in the large pull quote.

Jimmy Butler is hurt now. Jimmy Butler went down in an injury where he was elevated in the air going for a rebound. Amen Thompson unfortunately undercut him. It was one where Amen is trying to knife through Steven Adams and Draymond Green and Draymond tries to box him out and Amen and Draymond’s feet just kind of get tied up. Amen loses his balance, I think he kind of even tries to like stick his hand out to try and like find some semblance of balance and his hand even hits Jimmy. But it’s just it’s an unfortunate deal. It sucks for everybody involved.Sam Vecine “Game Theory” Podcast

There are Warriors players I don’t like, one Warriors player I hate, a Warriors player I admire, but long to see retire, but Jimmy Butler isn’t any of those. I find Jimmy’s arm flailing, run-into-defenders, foul hunting quite annoying, but that’s about it. The rest of his game I admire.

Moving on.

The Rockets crowd chanted “F Draymond” last night. Steve Kerr, a man of The Code, and High Moral Principles took exception to this.

I believe Steve Kerr is, in fact, a man of character and genuinely admirable high principles, outside of literally anything to do with the Warriors, particularly Draymond Green. Outside of him on those subjects, I like and respect him. He is, of course, naturally partisan when it comes to his team. I further believe he has an entirely human, and far from uncommon blind spot to a wrong that benefits him and his team.

I also think the Warriors have been a great team, with the greatest shooter of all time. I like the way they play offense. I admire Steph. I will celebrate when he retires,because he’s murdered my beloved Rockets in the playoffs. I also think long-term success has bred a sense of vast entitlement. As though the Warriors were entitled to win, to get calls, to insist other teams play the way they want them to play, simply because of who the Warriors are, rather than what they do.

Warriors fan - you have become what you hate: Lakers Fan. You truly have. I’m sorry, but there’s no way around this. This happens with very successful teams, and the sense of entitlement often persists long after any significant winning has departed (see Dallas Cowboys fan).

I’m now going to cite history and engage in a bit of “What Aboutery”. In this case it’s instructive, I believe. I think the high minded Kerr and Curry of the Warriors refuse to acknowledge their personal heart of darkness, their legacy of indulgence of truly despicable behavior when it comes to Draymond Green. It’s all the more annoying, of course, because of how much the Kerr and the Warriors use a sense of moral superiority as a means of complaining about anything they don’t like. Some of this of course, is par for the course for humans, generally, but I believe they go above and beyond the norm.

(If you are the sort that believes that anything you can get away with is fine so long as you aren’t stopped, well, go hang out with Draymond, I guess, and stop reading.)

Steph and Steve have benefited so much from the list below that I find their moralizing, their self-righteousness and complaining, hard to stomach.

Here are some things that have occurred with Draymond in the past:

• He was suspended for a considerable time for repeated, heedless and remorseless violent conduct, including literal choke holds on unsuspecting players. We’re told he got better, but let’s be clear, exactly this sort of persistent conduct, lack of personal control, outside of the fantasy world of sports, often lands people in jail or prison.
• He struck and stomped on the fractured face of Mike Conley. I’ve seen at least 4,000 NBA games, by my reckoning. I can recall exactly two contests where a player’s face was stomped upon. Once, when Kevin Love did it to Luis Scola. Love admitted he did it on purpose and apologized. Draymond, of course, claimed innocence. But again, how many stomps on an NBA player’s head do you recall? Any, other than those? Ask yourself how it could happen by accident? Ask yourself if a player with a well documented history of assault on other players should be given any benefit of the doubt? And Green is given that benefit, over and over, because people want to see Steph Curry succeed so much.
• Draymond has at least three documented eye gouges on MVP opponents in the playoffs: LeBron James, Nikola Jokic and James Harden. Somehow these eye gouges ONLY happen to the best opposing player. Remarkable. If they were random they might happen to a non MVP, and yet, they never do. Also ask, how many other bloody eyes, from gouges you have seen for literally ANY other player, let alone at least three times, and only on the best opposing, MVP level, player, NOT associated with Draymond Green?
• Draymond has a history of kicking players in the “anterior pelvic region”, aka the nuts. Steven Adams and LeBron James.
• He grabs, pushes, and “accidentally” strikes players constantly. He screams and claps in the face of referees, with little to no punishment, or even a technical foul.
• If Tari Eason can get a (deserved) technical foul for “Poor Sportsmanship” for gently lobbing a towel, what is the whole of Draymond’s act?
• Maybe you could say one of the things above was “just the way he plays” for an “intense” player. But all of it? I believe the weight of the evidence is more than enough to convict, beyond any reasonable doubt.

I also truly believe Draymond Green is mentally ill and shouldn’t be in the league, as a matter of player safety (see above). There’s no reason to believe he’s changed, because there’s little evidence of change. Certainly one can say “internet doctor” but just how much evidence is required for you? This stuff isn’t mysterious and unknowable. We’re not trying to get to the root of his mother fixation and fear of gerbils. It’s demonstrable and consistent patterns of behavior that make me think this. It’s literal facts.

So when the Warriors or their fans complain of “unfair treatment” and insisting the game be played “The Right Way”, according to “The Code” I can only conclude they are demanding that Draymond be brought to account for all the above and more. Steve Kerr must, in his heart, be insisting Draymond be dismissed from the NBA. It’s the only thing a truly righteous man could want, right Steve?

(Warriors fan - I’m not going to engage with you. The above is my statement and my reasons, fully laid out. You may disagree. That is absolutely your right.)

As for Good Green, well, this is why, frustrating as he is, inconsistent as he is, that neither I, nor the Rockets, have given up on Jalen Green. Because he can do this. If the Rockets get even 3⁄4 of this from Green, they will be very difficult to beat in the playoffs.

I think it’s worth giving Jalen, and the rest of the young Rockets a bit of a break for Game One. They are all, still, pretty much 23 and under. Game one was their first playoff game, against the vaunted nemesis of the Rockets, the Warriors.

Game Three is Saturday in the Area With A Bay. Houston, also, is located in an area with a bay, but we just think that’s a silly thing to call your home.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...rs-game-two-narratives-in-full-spring-blossom

 

[Houston Rockets]

Talk NFL Draft And Watch The NBA Playoffs Here

The Best Series Going? | Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

On playback.tv/thedreamshake - the best of everything. For you.

New York Knickerbockers vs. Detroit Pistons​

OKC Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzle (AKA The Mercy Rule Series)​

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers​

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Wednesday, April 23​

Location: Detroit, MI, Memphis, TN, Los Angeles, CA

TV: TNT/Max/truTV (NYKvDET, OKCvMEM) NBAtv (DEN v LAC)

Radio: Radio? Radio?

Online: Playback

Gametime: Various

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Join me, and perhaps Armin, for chat, commentary, “analysis” and plenty of snark as we watch the the NBA Playoffs on Playback.tv/thedreamshake. These series are interesting (in two of three cases). We’ll catch the second half of Knicks at Pistons, and all of The Most Interesting Series So Far - Denver Nuggets vs LA Clippers, and as much of OKC v Memphis as we can stomach.

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Join us on Playback!​

Make sure to check out The Dream Shake’s official Playback stream to watch games with us! To sign up:

• Head over to playback.tv and create an account with your email address
• Connect and select your NBA League Pass login as your streaming account (sign up for League Pass here first if you don’t have it)
• Go to https://www.playback.tv/thedreamshake and hit the JOIN button
• Make sure to activate push notifications so you know when we’re going live
• We have VIP courtesy of Playback, no TNT/MAX or NBA League Pass Needed!

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/4/24/24416064/talk-and-watch-the-nba-playoffs-here

 

[Houston Rockets]

Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors Game 3 preview

Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The series shifts to San Francisco as both teams look to take a 2-1 lead

In Game 1, the young Houston Rockets met the experienced Golden State Warriors and the jitters were evident for Houston. Only one member of Houston’s young core, Alperen Sengun, played anything close to a good game. The Warriors didn’t play particularly well, but they made plays at the right times and made shots when it counted.

In Game 2, Houston shrug off the jitters and never let the Warriors feel like they were in the game. Multiple times, Golden State cut Houston’s lead to 11 or 12, only for the Rockets to go on a mini-run of their own and establish order.

Usually in the playoffs, young players play better at home and struggle on the road. The environment is unlike anything they’ve ever played in, and it can be a shocking experience. That’s the real question tonight for Houston: did Game 1 get out all of the jitters, or will Game 3 on the road bring them back with a vengeance?

Jimmy Butler III is “in serious jeopardy” of missing tonight’s contest, and I think it makes sense for the Warriors to sit him. The Rockets aren’t some juggernaut at home, and Golden State has to feel confident that they can take another game in H-Town. If the Warriors win tonight, they may even rest Butler again in Game 4 for even more healing time.

I’m sure that Warriors fans will say that they would have won Game 2 if Butler was available, but I think that’s a little insulting to Golden State’s role players, who all stepped up. Until some garbage time misses, the Warriors were shooting above 40% from deep as a team. It felt like every time the Rockets hit a shot that could have been a dagger, the Warriors came back and promptly hit a 3. Either that says something about Houston’s inability to put Golden State away or it shows that the Warriors have some young pups of their own that aren’t afraid of the moment.

It’s surprising that the line for this game still favors Golden State. Maybe Vegas knows that Butler is actually better than expected, or the expectation is that Houston will have jitters again and drop another clunker. Either way, the signs point to taking the Warriors and giving up the points here.

We’ll be in the Playback room tonight, so you should come join to watch the Rockets and talk about the game. Remember, we get a handful of VIP passes that we give out to anyone who wants to watch the game. No League Pass necessary!

Tip-off​

7:30pm CT

How To Watch​

ABC and Playback

Injury Report​

Rockets​

Jae’Sean Tate: GTD

Warriors​

Jimmy Butler: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

GS -2.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can​

Game 4 in San Francisco on Monday

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...w-jimmy-butler-injury-steph-curry-jalen-green

 

[Houston Rockets]

FanDuel offers No Sweat SGP for Rockets vs. Warriors Game 3

Look, it’s fan duel, | Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images

Parlay vouse? Mais whee.

The NBA Playoffs have either been really good for a first round, with only a couple of clunker series. But for some of you, that excitement isn’t enough. You need more spice, you need a frisson, you need a chance to win some money betting on the sport you love. BUT you’re also risk averse. You know that when you gamble, one thing that can happen is that you lose. Fear not, FanDuel has an offer to appeal to both positions. That is, a “No Sweat Same Game Parlay.”

No, you won’t be negotiating with heavily mascara’d pirates, but rather placing a series of wagers that comprise a single wager, a “parlay” that must all succeed for you to win. The combination of the wagers improves your winnings from success, but also makes it harder for the bet to succeed. (It’s all probability stuff, dull and obviously not relevant to gambling.).

But wait, in this case, if you lose you get “Bonus Bets” back. Now, this isn’t straight cash, but it isn’t a loss either, it’s another chance to make a winning wager.

Now, I’m no one’s idea of a sharp. I’m more of a whimsical fictional pirate who never seems to pirate anything, with lots of mascara and a weird bird, maybe a crow, on my shoulder when it comes to sports wagering. Take this parlay non-advice for what it’s worth: nothing. I’m just here to talk, to inform, to parlay as it were.

Since you’ll actually get your money back, in a form you might use to make safer bets, let’s swing for the fences, or shoot a really deep three pointer with our Same Game Parlay.

You can make these bets on a player to do a number of things, or chop it up into parts you think might hit. For me, I picked Amen Thompson to have a great game, or rather a fairly typical Amen game, Fred VanVleet to record a good number of assists, and Dillon Brooks to hit a few open threes (3).

Here’s my four part FanDuel No Sweat Same Game Parlay:

Fred VanVleet to record 6+ assists +200​

Amen Thompson to record a double double (points, rebounds). +410​

Dillon Brooks to make three three point shots. +200​

Amen Thompson to record two blocks. +178​

+7287​

That means if you bet $20 on this No Sweat Same Game Parlay, you’d win $1457.40, plus your $20 stake back. ​

If you are legally allowed to wager on sports where you live, then you could actually make this wager, and possibly win that much money. Or get your stake back as a bonus bet.

Here’s a link to the No Sweat Same Game Parlay On Fan Duel

Here’s a breakdown of the rules and process if you care to make a wager, from the admirable rundown by Nick Stevenson of this parish.

How it works​

1. Click “Claim Now” on the FanDuel home page to claim your No Sweat Token.

2. After clicking “Claim Now” on the Promotion, you will be awarded one No Sweat Token. Your No Sweat Token may be used on a 3+ Leg Same Game Parlay / Same Game Parlay Plus / Parlay wager for any NBA Playoff Game(s) taking place on April 19th - April 20th, 2025.

3. Your wager must have final odds of +400 or longer to qualify. I.E, +450 and +600 would qualify, but -300 or +100 would not.

4. Build your 3+ Leg SGP / SGP+ / Parlay, toggle-on your No-Sweat Token, and place your bet!

5. There is a maximum refund associated with use of your No-Sweat Token. Log in for more details.

6. Refund will be credited within 72 hours of bet settlement.

7. Refund will be issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets that expires 7 days after receipt.

8. No Sweat Token expires at 2:00 AM ET on Monday, April 28th, 2025.

Ineligible Bets:

• Bets placed using bonus funds, site credit, or bonus bets
• Odds Boosts
• Cashed out bets
• Straight bets

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...-action-houston-rockets-golden-state-warriors

 

[Houston Rockets]

Turgid Rockets Fall To Warriors 104-93

Why Not Pass It To Him More? | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Sometimes You Just Need Near League Average Offense

This will be somewhat short, as these sorts of recaps aren’t always easy to write when frustration levels are high. This will be less a rehash of the game, and more my impressions.

Let’s start with these caveats:

• I’m happy overall with where the Rockets are. No matter how this series ends, it will have been a good season, the best in quite some time.
• The Rockets remain a very young team. A team where five of the Rockets eight players getting minutes tonight were playing in their first road playoff game.
• Teams with no playoff experience for the key players most often don’t win in their first playoffs. The Rockets are very much such a team.
• The Warriors are far more experienced team, and where they play young players, it’s very much within the context of a well-established team concept. They adjust to opponents very well, because they are well coached and experienced.
• The Rockets defense is excellent. It truly is.
• The referees weren’t to blame for this outcome. There’s not much to complain about in this one, other than, of course, the private and exclusive set of rules afforded Draymond Green.
• Ime Udoka is a good coach. I think he should remain the Rockets coach.
• The future for the Rockets is very bright, but likely isn’t upon them now.
• I’m fairly happy with the young Rockets, despite tonight. I do not believe they were placed in a position to succeed on offense, and that’s mostly not on them.
• Some of the Rockets problems on offense seemed to be nerves, which can be expected to improve.
• Steph Curry is the NBA’s greatest shooter, and had a great night. Which you heard a lot about on the dreadful ABC game call. (Please, no Jay Bilas NBA ever again. This was his NBA debut, and he needs to immediately go back to college basketball and never trouble the NBA again. Straight up awful.)

With all that said:

• The Rockets offense simply isn’t good enough - as it is designed. It’s largely stagnant and motionless. It’s easy to plan against, and Ime Udoka and company have demonstrated close to zero response to effectively counter the same defensive scheme the Rockets have faced all season.
• The offensive game the Rockets are trying to play might work if they had a player capable of normally getting by defense and scoring contested shots in close, or passing out through traffic. They DO NOT HAVE such a player, so this offense is instead a tepid, moribund, disaster in the half court, amplified by the playoffs forcing more half court play. Hoping that someone will resemble such a player some nights isn’t a plan.
• The Warriors attacked Rockets ball handlers with doubles, traps and high pressure on their dribble. They dared the Rockets ballhandler to make a good pass out of this situation of very active defenders harassing them. They didn’t make those passes very often, and calling up picks didn’t free the ballhandler, it simply lead to more defensive traffic.
• The Warriors subsequently packed nearly every defender in and around the paint on Rockets drives. The Warriors aren’t a big team, and have little rim protection, but it’s very hard to attack the rim with so many defenders in the paint. These Rockets drives into the paint, or passes to Sengun often occurred very late into the shot clock, with much time being wasted by the ball handler trying to get out of the double, or wait for a pick.
• The compressed shot clock due to initial pressure at the top of the three point arc led to rushed and bad looks.
• When the Rockets did penetrate the paint, and no shot presented itself, the defenders in the paint, especially Draymond Green, were waiting for the pass out, the kick off the drive. They often made such a pass, to an open shooter, difficult or impossible. The Rockets had 14 turnovers, but it felt like more, due to a number of deflections and other disruptions that weren’t turnovers, but caused a side out reset into the same defensive problems.
• So while the Warriors were daring the Rockets to make open shots, those shots were actually few, due to the almost complete failure of any sort of drive and kick, or the baseline dunker’s spot passes to Amen Thompson.
• The Rockets, seeing these problems, became tentative on offense. They had more success attacking earlier in the shot clock, but were reluctant to do so. This makes sense for a young core in it’s first road playoff game. It makes less sense for veterans.
• The Rockets were not only tentative, they rushed the shots they did get in close, and missed short looks of nearly every sort, the kind of shots that a team should expect to make. It seems the Rockets anticipated defensive a swarming response, and the Warriors slapping at the ball so much they rushed and missed even when such a response wasn’t present. Amen Thompson and Jalen Green paused and refused to attack players they can easily beat off the dribble, because they anticipated the defense collapsing around them, it seemed. What as the response to give them more options there? Nothing.
• They missed FTs. The Rockets were 14-24 from the FT line. They had more FT attempts from Golden State. Again, this wasn’t a badly reffed game. The experienced Rockets made 10-12 free throws (Fred, Dillon, Steven Adams(!)). The rest made 4-12, with Alpie going 1-6. Jalen Green shot zero FT.
• A combination of better FT shooting (not perfect) and made bunnies might have lead to a win.
• The Rockets offense simply isn’t good enough. It’s simplistic, and does not put players into a good position to succeed. It doesn’t suit the personnel well. The Rockets coaching staff have developed, seemingly, no effective response to the defense most teams play against the Rockets, and have played all season long. Golden State played a defense the Rockets have absolutely seen, many time, but played it at playoff intensity.
• “Play better.” isn’t an offensive adjustment, or a play. It’s a hope.
• The Rockets have almost no plays run out of a timeout. They just pause, and do the same thing they always do. Stagnant PNR at the top of the 3pt arc. This might work if they had SGA, or James Harden. They don’t. The Rockets rarely even advance the ball, to make a play easier to run, most times. Contrast this with Golden State’s scoring out of timeouts or stoppages seemingly every time tonight, or at least getting a good look.
• Fred VanVleet simply isn’t good enough at his main job, being a point guard. He doesn’t play anyone open, or find easy looks, almost ever. He’s even worse at his second job, scoring. He provides little to no threat anywhere. This hasn’t been a few bad games in a row, it’s most of a season of bad games. The idea of his value has been raised because there’s no better option, not because he’s been that good.
• Ime Udoka has yet to personally accept responsibility for any failing of the Rockets (I’ve listened to nearly every one of his pressers), or of coaching. He says “We didn’t...” but never “I didn’t”. The coaching is flawless, it seems, only the players fail.
• The Rockets are able to play sophisticated, fast, effective, aggressive and sometimes nearly flawless defense.
• I refuse to believe a team that can play that kind of defense isn’t capable of doing more advanced work than their predictable, stagnant, ineffective half court, offense. Unless someone just has a good shooting night, the Rockets offensive attack in the half court has no real hope. A team that can play the sort of fast, connected defense the Rockets do is capable of at least moving enough to get teammates easy looks. Their offense is meant to provide spacing, but if you watch how defenses play them, it just doesn’t. So do something else.
• By packing the paint, Golden State took away much of the Rockets offensive rebounding edge. By not turning the ball over, they blunted most possible fast breaks.
• The Rockets should be able to win nearly any game where they hold opponents well under NBA scoring average, or to 94 points (first two games). 104 is 7 points below league average.
• Maybe the Rockets would shoot better if they got easier looks? Jalen Green is quite a good 3pt shooter, for example, on catch and shoot threes.

This playoff series remains winnable, and yet I’m afraid the Rockets won’t win it. The reason won’t be their excellent defense. It will be because the Warriors have the best player, and also can find looks that provide good shots for the likes of Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield. It’s certainly possible the young Rockets will simply make the “Play Better” adjustment, and they’d better, because nothing else seems to be on the horizon.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/4/27/24418549/turgid-rockets-fall-to-warriors-104-93

 

[Houston Rockets]

FanDuel’s No Sweat, Same Game Parlay up for use on NBA Playoffs Sunday

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Let’s make some bets using today’s slate!

The NBA Playoffs will continue today with four high stakes game four matchups, and once again, Fanduel’s No Sweat, Same Game Parlay is up and running. That means all you got to do is head over to Fanduel, sign in to either a new, or existing account, and place a 3+ leg SGP with odds +400 or more, and you have a chance to make some money! Even better, if it doesn’t hit, your money will be returned to you for bonus bets, so it’s a no-risk, high-reward situation.

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Here’s some more information on how to use the No Sweat, Same Game Parlay offer:

How it works​

1. Click “Claim Now” on the FanDuel home page to claim your No Sweat Token.

2. After clicking “Claim Now” on the Promotion, you will be awarded one No Sweat Token. Your No Sweat Token may be used on a 3+ Leg Same Game Parlay / Same Game Parlay Plus / Parlay wager for any NBA Playoff Game(s) taking place on April 19th - April 20th, 2025.

3. Your wager must have final odds of +400 or longer to qualify. I.E, +450 and +600 would qualify, but -300 or +100 would not.

4. Build your 3+ Leg SGP / SGP+ / Parlay, toggle-on your No-Sweat Token, and place your bet!

5. There is a maximum refund associated with use of your No-Sweat Token. Log in for more details.

6. Refund will be credited within 72 hours of bet settlement.

7. Refund will be issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets that expires 7 days after receipt.

8. No Sweat Token expires at 2:00 AM ET on Monday, April 28th, 2025.

Ineligible Bets:

• Bets placed using bonus funds, site credit, or bonus bets
• Odds Boosts
• Cashed out bets
• Straight bets

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Now, let’s get into Sunday’s slate of games and go through some of the best bets for your potential SGP!

Knicks vs Pistons Betting Preview​

To start off, we got the Knicks-Pistons game. Now this one is probably the closest in odds, as Detroit are a mere two point favorite to win after falling in game three. However, I’d be willing to take this bet as each game has been not only relatively close to say the least, but Detroit will also be fighting at home from down 2-1 which gives some high energy/motivation.

A best bet four leg parlay in this game would end you up at +563 odds which is pay $10.00 to win $56.32. The following four legs of the parlay would be Detroit -2 in the spread, Over 217 total points, Cade Cunningham to score 20+ points, and Tim Hardaway Jr. 3+ made threes. In an overall offensive series, this is definitely a parlay that plays into the theme and still gives you flexibility to move some things around if you’d like.

Lakers vs Timberwolves Betting Preview​

This series has been pretty difficult to judge betting wise mainly due to some inconsistent play by each team. For the Lakers, their offense has yet to crack over 105 points, and in two games they’ve lost decisively. The Timberwolves have had their own questions as well though, as while they did take a 2-1 series lead in game three, their bench has been on and off which provides a looming question mark. But, even with that going on, there’s a few bets I’d expect to hit as they’re all on the somewhat safer side.

The best bet parlay in this one is a three leg parlay that gets you just over +400 at +405 odds which when you pay $20 gets you $81.09. The three separate legs are for Julius Randle to score 15+ points, Luka Doncic to score 30+ points, and LeBron James to score 25+ points. While they’re all scoring related, none of them are true reaches. Randle has been solid and efficient for Minnesota and has been their clear cut second option so far in the series. As for Luka and LeBron, last game Luka had a stomach bug which limited him to only 17 points, I expect him to return back to 30+ today as he did in game one and two. LeBron however, dropped 38 in the game three loss, but seemed as if he found his rhythm on the offensive end finally, which is exactly what he needed.

Celtics vs Magic Betting Preview​

Even after a surprising game three loss in Orlando, the Celtics are still sitting at 6.5 point favorites for this one which looks a little shaky. With Jrue Holiday listed OUT and Jaylen Brown questionable in what’s been a very physical series so far, Boston may have some trouble if they’re missing the 2024 Finals MVP in Brown. There is still some good news though, and it’s that there’s bets that look promising for game four.

For this one, the best bet parlay is another four legged parlay that leaves you at +642 odds which is a $128.46 payout with a $20 bet. The four legs of the parlay for this game is Over 196 points, the Magic to cover the +6.5 Spread, Derrick White to have 4+ made threes, and Paolo Banchero to score 20+ points. This is a game that I believe will finally have a bit of offense in it, but with injuries to Boston, will ultimately be close once again. More of a risky SGP, but a good payout if it hits.

Pacers vs Bucks Betting Preview​

This game is a bit easier in my opinion betting wise mainly because we’ve seen the same story in each of the previous three games. A lot of higher scoring, mediocre defense type of games so far which is favorable for betters who like to cash out.

This game is the biggest one yet at a five legged parlay set to be at +1600 odds with a $160.05 payout for a $10 bet. The legs for this one is Over 226 total points, Giannis to record 12+ rebounds, Dame to record 6+ assists, Siakam to record 2+ steals, and Haliburton to record a double double. This is the riskiest, but also very well probable Same Game Parlay of them all, but remember, if it hits you get a big payout, if it doesn’t, you get your money back!

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That’s all there is for Sunday’s Playoff game bets, hopefully some of these can turn out and get someone out there a nice mini payday. So, one more time, go over to Fanduel and put in some Same Game Parlay bets for a chance to go big! Lastly, make sure to bet your money responsibly and make wise choices.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...use-on-nba-playoffs-sunday-los-angeles-lakers

 

[Houston Rockets]

Amen Thompson finishes in fifth place for NBA Defensive Player of the Year

Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

A pretty good showing for the young Rockets star.

On April 20, the NBA announced its finalists for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Three finalists were Dyson Daniels from the Atlanta Hawks, Draymond Green from the Golden State Warriors, and Evan Mobley from the Cleavland Cavaliers. Yep, that is right. Amen Thompson was not a finalist. Four days later, it was revealed that Evan Mobley won the DPOY with 285 total points from votes. (35 first place, 30 second place, and 20 third place votes.) When it comes to DPOY voting, first-place votes are worth five points, second-place votes are worth three points, and third-place votes are worth one point.

It was a pretty good showing for Houston’s young and versatile budding star.

What did the media think?​

The Athletic’s John Hollinger emphasized Thompson’s exceptional defensive adaptability by highlighting his capacity to serve as a second rim protector in addition to defending perimeter players.

Numerous outlets highlighted Thompson’s importance on the Rockets’ top-five defense by praising his remarkable athleticism and defensive recovery skills. Despite having several capable defenders on the Rockets' squad, some experts claimed that Thompson’s defensive influence was evident.

Do the numbers back up the eye test?-​

In addition to the positive reception from the media, Amen Thompson had the fourth-best defensive rating at 108.1. This puts him behind only Jalen Williams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Ivica Zubac. Additionally, this means Amen was ahead of players such as Evan Mobley and Jaret Allen.

In terms of defensive stats, Amen finished first in rim defense among non-big men and first in defensive field goal percentage (DFG%) among players with at least 250 defensive field goal attempts. In addition, he scores strongly in defensive statistics such as ISO defense, defensive three-point percentage, rim defense, and P&R defense. Among players who have attempted at least 250 defensive field goals, Thompson has the highest DFG percentage in the league. In addition, he leads non-big men in rim defense, which is known as pick-and-roll (P&R), and among players with at least 140 P&R possessions, Thompson is ranked third in P&R defense. Among players with at least 100 defensive three-point attempts, he ranks sixth in terms of D3PT%. Finally, Thompson is ranked ninth among players with at least 20 ISO possessions in isolation (ISO) defense.

So why didn’t Amen win? -​

Honestly, I think it comes down to the fact that Amen only started 42 of the 82 games. This is not Amen’s fault, as he can’t control whether he starts or not, but when all the finalists were starters, it is a bit hard to make the case for him. Additionally, these days all the NBA awards are highly media-driven, and due to Amen not starting few members of the national media were talking about him early on in the season.

While Thompson didn’t win the DPOY, his strong defensive performance and versatility were widely recognized. Many considered him a leading contender and definitely should have been a finalist. It will be interesting to see if Amen becomes a member of an All-Defensive team this season.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...deffensive-player-of-the-year-houston-rockets

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets on the brink of elimination after losing Game 4 to the Warriors 109-106

Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Missed free-throws and turnovers... Sound familiar?

The Rockets would need a solid start to Game 4 if they were going to draw the series against the Golden State Warriors even at two games apiece. Four turnovers leading to an 13-2 in the first four minutes of the game, wasn’t going to get it done. After an Ime Udoka timeout it didn’t get much better as the Warriors immediately buried a three-pointer coming out of the break. However, the Rockets would go in an 11-4 run and looked like they would avoid the early route. The Rockets began to creep back into the game with their defense and paint scoring.

Jabari Smith Jr. came off the bench and gave the Rockets an offensive boost scoring 5 points, hitting both his shots. The Rockets were 3-of-5 from three-point territory in the quarter and they ended the quarter only down by two points 28-26. Turnovers would be the key to staying in the game.

The Rockets began the second quarter on an 8-3 run and would ultimately outscore the Warriors 31-22 in the quarter. The rockets shot 54.1 percent from the field in the first half including 63.6 percent from three-point land. They outrebounded the Warriors 21-16 and outscored them in the paint 24-8. Despite all that they only held a seven-point lead at the half due to shooting 10-of-16 from the free-throw line and the Warriors hitting nine three-pointers, even though they only shot 38.1 percent from the field.

The pace of the game favored the Rockets with multiple pauses in the game to review altercations, and they made a mess of the Warriors offense scoring 17 points off of 7 Warrior turnovers. After two quarters the rockets led 57-50.

The Warriors scored 13 straight points to open the third quarter. The Rockets wen 0-6 from the floor and hit one free throw before Ime Udoka was forced to take a timeout with the Rockets down by 10. The Rockets then scored seven straight points of their own, capped off with a Fred VanVleet three-pointer, which was his fifth of the game.

The Rockets missed more free-throws through three quarters than they did in Game 3, with 12 misses. Yet, Jabari Smith Jr. tied the game at 80 with a free-throw with less than 20 seconds to go. With eight seconds to go Tari Eason inexplicably fouled Jimmy Butler sending him to the line for two shots, which he made, giving the Warriors an 82-80 lead going into the final quarter.

Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun took over the game for the Rockets in the fourth quarter scoring the first 14 points of the quarter for them, but even with that and a heroic effort from Fred VanVleet who hit eight three-pointers, it would not be enough. After all the dust settled, despite outshooting the Warriors from the field, in the paint and from the three-point line, despite out-rebounding the Rockets attempt to take the lead with a Alperen Sengun drive and spinning hook-shot that fell off the rim and Jimmy Butler grabbed the rebound to get fouled and go to the line, making two free throws to put the Warriors up by three. Fred VanVleet would get a good look at a three to tie the game, going the length of the court with only 4.0 seconds to go in the game, and it came up short.

The Rockets lose Game 4 by a score of 109-106 to fall down in the series 3-1. The Houston Rockets missed 12 free-throws totaling 22 missed free throws in the last two games. Between that and turning the ball over 27 times in just as many games, it pretty much sums up why the Rockets find themselves on the brink of elimination.

Alperen Sengun had 31 points and 10 rebounds in 42 minutes played. Fred VanVleet scored 25 points on eight made three-pointers in 40 minutes. The elephant in the room was Jalen Green with another subpar performance with more turnovers than shots made. In only 24 minutes he scored 8 points on 3-of-8 shooting and turned the ball over 5 times.

The Rockets will try to avoid being eliminated on their home floor on Wednesday at 6:30 PM CST. The game will air on Space City Home Network, TNT, truTV, and can be streamed on MAX.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...g-game-4-to-the-warriors-109-106-nba-playoffs

 

[Houston Rockets]

VOTE: Do the Rockets need a major roster change?

Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The Rockets appear to be headed for a first round defeat. What is the way forward?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Houston Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Rockets fell to the Golden State Warriors last night and are staring at a 3-1 deficit in their first playoff series in four years. There’s been problems with freee throws, offensive cohesion and making clutch shots. There are options for how to fix this moving forward. One is bringing in an offensive coordinator. Another would be changing the roster.

Houston has plenty of options for that if they choose. Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo are all probably get-able if the Rafael Stone elects that route. So what we want to know is, do you want the Rockets to make a major roster change for next season (ie... swinigng a major trade) or would you rather see them keep the status quo and allow the kids another year to develop together?

Cast your vote and let us know your thoughts in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...-alperen-sengun-jalen-green-2025-nba-playoffs

 

[Houston Rockets]

Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors Game 5 preview

Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The Rockets try to avoid elimination

We’ve seen this story before.

The Houston Rockets need a victory over the Golden State Warriors to keep their first round series going. A win tonight for the Warriors gives them the gentleman’s sweep. And while the three games that Golden State have been close, it’s pretty clear that they’ve been the better team in those contests.

Do the Rockets have any hope left? We saw in the James Harden Era that those teams (led by Harden) were prone to give up when they thought the series was unwinnable. That’s not a Harden-only issue, as we saw from the Miami Heat on Monday night. However, with such a young team, it’s entirely possible that this iteration of the Rockets has no interest in flying back to San Francisco.

A win tonight would at least give Houston a little more dignity heading into an offseason that will be shorter than originally expected but longer than a 2 seed usually gets.

Since this is the potential final game of the season, I’d like to thank everyone for reading along this season. Normally I would have done this in Game 82’s preview, but the Rockets went and made the playoffs, which is pretty cool. Writing 82 game previews (not counting Summer League, preseason, and postseason) can get monotonous at times, but the support and replies from all of you go a long way. We don’t always have to agree, but we can always be civil. Thank you.

We’ll be in the Playback room tonight, so you should come join to watch the Rockets and talk about the game. Remember, we get a handful of VIP passes that we give out to anyone who wants to watch the game. No League Pass necessary!

Tip-off​

6:30pm CT

How To Watch​

TNT, Space City Home Network, and Playback

Injury Report​

Rockets​

Jae’Sean Tate: OUT

Warriors​

None

The Line (as of this post)

HOU -4

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can​

Game 6 in San Francisco on Friday if necessary

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...eview-steph-curry-jimmy-butler-draymond-green

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets avoid elimination with 131-116 Game Five victory over Warriors

The Rockets are hanging around.

Last night (April 30) , he Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors in Toyota Center, avoiding elimination, and forced a Game Xix in San Francisco. Houston came out firing on all cylinders, and their offense looked the best it has all season, but there are three key takeaways.

Getting into action early​

After a poor offensive start in game four, Houston came out guns blazing, scoring 40 points in the first quarter while shooting 64% from the field and 55% from three. It is worth noting that Golden State is no slouch defensively, as they are one of the league's better defenses. Houston got Golden State in foul trouble early as the Warriors recorded five fouls in less than five minutes. This fueled a 15-0 Rockets run that soon became 26-5. When coach Ime Udoka used Houston’s zone defense, it also worked well. Golden State’s leaders and stars, Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry, didn’t score until four minutes into the second quarter.

Getting everyone involved​

Tonight was a balanced scoring approach, with all five starters scoring in double digits. Fred Vanvleet and Amen Thompson led the way with 26 and 25 points, respectively, followed by Dillon Brooks with 24, Alperen Sengun with 15, and Jalen Green with 11. Although Jalen did not score much, he was aggressive early, which is a stark contrast from the games earlier in this series. It wasn’t just the starters, though. Aaron Holiday, Jock Landale, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., and Jeff Green all had buckets off the bench. Houston got all of the players involved and got them involved early. Houston finished shooting 55.1% from the field, 43.3% from three, and 84.2% from the free throw line, all massive improvements over previous games, especially the free throw shooting, which possibly cost Houston the game on Monday night.

Stellar Defense on Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler​

While known for their defense, the Rockets have had some issues containing Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry earlier this series, with Curry going off in Game Three and Jimmy going off in Game Four. However, tonight, Houston kept both Butler and Curry scoreless until four minutes had gone by in the second quarter. Curry and Butler eventually woke up some, as Butler finished with 8 points and Curry with 13, but Houston’s defenders held Curry to 4-for-12 shooting on field goals and Butler to 2-for-10 shooting on field goals. What interested me the most when watching this game was how Fred VanVleet appeared to defend Curry almost as well as Amen Thompson, so that is something to look out for.

The job is far from done, as Houston still trails Golden State 3-2 in the sereis. Friday’s Game Six tips off at 8:00 central from Golden State’s Chase Center, and will be televised to a national audience on ESPN.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...e-five-victory-over-golden-state-warriors-nba

 

[Houston Rockets]

Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors Game 6 preview

Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

The Rockets try to force a Game 7

The young Houston Rockets have surprised us all this season.

They won their group in the NBA Cup, taking down both of the favorites in the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers. They then broke a long losing streak against the Golden State Warriors in the quarterfinals and advanced to Las Vegas.

They went on a stretch in January where over a period of three games, they beat the Cavs twice and the Celtics in Boston. It was the first time where I (and many other Rockets fans) thought, “Oh this team might actually be really good.”

Finally, with the 2 seed on the line and a lot of hand-wringing thanks to a murderer’s row of playoff teams to end the season (OKC, @GS, @LAC, @LAL, DEN), Houston won the first two games and made the whole thing moot.

Winning tonight would probably be the biggest surprise of them all.

No one expects the underdog Rockets (+5.5 at the time of writing) to step into the Chase Center and do anything other than roll over for the Warriors. The narrative is set: Houston gave the Warriors a fight but experience triumphed. Now the Rockets can go into the offseason with their heads held high while the Warriors and Wolves play in another series pitting one of the faces of the NBA in Steph Curry against the future in Anthony Edwards. It’s what everyone wants to see, right?

Usually in these situations, the Warriors come out smoking hot and blow the roof off. We’ve seen time and time again that Houston doesn’t have the firepower to hang in a high-scoring game, especially when they start from behind. The Warriors won’t start as cold as they did in Game 5 and the Rockets won’t start as hot, either.

But maybe Houston has one last surprise in store for us.

We’ll be in the Playback room tonight, so you should come join to watch the Rockets and talk about the game. Remember, we get a handful of VIP passes that we give out to anyone who wants to watch the game. No League Pass necessary!

Tip-off​

8pm CT

How To Watch​

ESPN, Space City Home Network, and Playback

Injury Report​

Rockets​

Jae’Sean Tate: OUT

Warriors​

Jonathan Kuminga: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

GS -5.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can​

Game 7 in Houston on Sunday if necessary

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...eview-steph-curry-jimmy-butler-draymond-green

 

[Houston Rockets]

SB Nation Reacts results: Do the Rockets need a major roster change?

Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

The Rockets have shown some weaknesses this postseason. Do they need to swing a trade in the offseason?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Houston Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Rockets handled their business in Game 5 and return to California for tonight’s Game 6. No matter the outcome, the veteran Golden State Warriors amplified Houston’s weaknesses on offense in this series.

So we asked our readers this week if they felt the Rockets needed a major roster change in the offseason. By “major roster change”, we mean swinging a trade for an available superstar, such as Kevin Durant, Devin Booker or Giannis. Here are the results:

As you can see, over half of our readers feel that the Rockets need to make a major move for next season, but the poll was close enough that it’s basically 50-50. What kind of deal would you make if you’re Rafael Stone? Tell us in the comments. Thanks for voting, and we’ll be back soon.

This week’s Reacts was brought to you by FanDuel.

Make sure you head over to their NBA website and drop a few bucks on parlays and player props before tonight’s game. You’ll be helping us out as well.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...ckets-need-a-major-roster-change-nba-playoffs

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets head to California for Game 6 vs. Warriors and their thumbs

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Hitchin’ a thumb ride?

Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors​

Friday, May 2 @ 8pm CST​

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Location: Chase Center, San Francisco, California

TV: Space City Home Network, ESPN

Radio: SportsTalk790

Online: Rockets App

Gametime: 8:00 PM CST

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Probable Starting Lineups​

Rockets: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun

Warriors: Steph Curry, Bandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green

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Join us on Playback!​

Make sure to check out The Dream Shake’s official Playback stream to watch games with us! To sign up:

• Head over to playback.tv and create an account with your email address
• Connect and select your NBA League Pass login as your streaming account (sign up for League Pass here first if you don’t have it)
• Go to https://www.playback.tv/thedreamshake and hit the JOIN button
• Make sure to activate push notifications so you know when we’re going live

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...e-6-vs-golden-state-warriors-and-their-thumbs

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets force Game 7 with 115-107 victory over Warriors

Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Greatest two words in sports? If the Rockets do what they did in Game 6, then yes.

The Houston Rockets are headed to a Game 7 at home versus the Golden State Warriors after a 115-107 victory on the road in Game 6. A Game 7 versus the Warriors in H-Town is a place this organization and Rockets fans may have some PTSD over, but this ain’t your ex-girlfriend’s Houston Rockets. This young team went on the road in a place that may not be Oracle, but is still a very tough place to play, in the face of elimination, and they did not blink.

There have been a few common denominators in this series when the Rockets win, and they presented themselves last night.

Free-Throw Shooting​

Let’s keep it a buck... the Rockets would be getting ready to play the Minnesota Timberwolves right now had they made their free-throws in their losses at the same clip they have in their wins. The Rockets shot 71.7 percent from the line last night, but they shot 46 free-throws (33-46). They have shot 104 free-throws in their wins in the series, making 81 of them for 77.9 percent.

In the Rockets losses, they have shot 75 free throws and made just 44 of them for 58.7 percent. Going into Game 6, the Rockets knew they would have to convert their free-throws, and they did so effectively. The Warriors knew the Rockets free-throws would be key as well, which is why they sent the Rockets worst shooter to the line 16 times, but Steven Adams, who is a career 46.2 percent shooter from the line, made 9 of those 16 shots for 56.3 percent. Plain and simple, when the Rockets make foul shots, they win.

Defensive Intensity​

The Rockets have played great defense all series long, but in the fourth quarter of Game 6, it was elite. The Warriors shot 3-of-19 with only 13 points in the final quarter before Steve Kerr waived the white flag for the second consecutive game. The Rockets held the Warriors to 41.1 percent shooting from the field, just 30.6 percent from the three-point line and forced them into 16 turnovers.

In the three Rockets wins, the Warriors are shooting 41.3 percent from the field and averaging 15 turnovers. The defense is turning into offense for the Rockets, as they are shooting 48.3 percent from the field in their wins this series. In the Rockets losses, they have forced less than 10 turnovers per game. Rockets force turnovers, they turn those turnovers into points, they win.

Fred VanVleet​

Fred VanVleet struggled through the first three games of the series, including the win at Toyota Center on Game 2. However, since Game 4, even though the Rockets lost, Fred VanVleet has been incredible, with no exception last night. Fred VanVleet scored 29 points on 7-of-13 shooting, grabbed 8 rebounds and dished out 8 assists. He was 9-of-9 from the free-throw line and 6-of-9 from three.

VanVleet’s performance in the last three games, averaging 26.7 points, 5.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds, is the exact reason the Rockets gave him the three-year $128 million contract he received before the 2023-2024 campaign began. It wasn’t just to show the young players how to win in the regular season, which he did. It wasn’t just to get them to the playoffs for the first time in five years, which he did. It was for these moments in the post-season, showing them that there can be no panic regardless of the situation. Until the clock runs out on one of these teams’ fourth loss, the series is not over.

Game 7​

The two greatest words in sports? Yeah... for the winner. If the Houston Rockets continue doing the things they have consistently done in the three wins they have in this series, then they will be moving on in my opinion. They have had a chance to win every game this series, and one could argue should have won at least one two of the games they lost.

If for some reason they are unable to put this formula of free-throws, defense turning into offense, and other-world performance from the vet Fred VanVleet, the Rockets will need someone else to step up and carry them over the finish line. Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, perhaps Jabari Smith Jr.? Speculation ends Sunday at 7:30 PM CST AT Toyota Center in downtown Houston, Texas

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/2025/...y-over-the-golden-state-warriors-nba-playoffs