SAN FRANCISCO — After blowing a chance to close out the series for the second straight time, the Golden State Warriors head to Houston on Saturday remaining confident despite having to play a Game 7 to keep their season alive.
Houston stunned the Warriors at Chase Center with stifling defense in the fourth quarter to even this series at 3-3 with a 115-107 win on Friday night.
“So we’re going to win together, we’re going to lose together,” Golden State star Jimmy Butler said. “I know we’re definitely going to win together come Sunday.
“We’re good. We’re smiling. We’re listening to our music, celebrating life. We’re ready to compete. We were ready to compete tonight. Things didn’t go our way. OK, we’re going to be ready to compete on Sunday. We’re going to make the game go our way.”
The Warriors express confidence because of their advantage in playoff experience, in particular their Game 7 experience. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have played in five such do-or-die games, going 3-2. Their last Game 7 came in 2023 when Golden State won at Sacramento 120-100 to take that first-round series.
Curry scored 50 points in that victory. He has averaged 32.6 points in Game 7s in his career, fourth most by any player in NBA history, according to ESPN Research. Curry trails only Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
Butler has played in four Game 7s and is 2-2.
By comparison, Houston’s Jeff Green, Steven Adams, Fred VanVleet and Aaron Holiday have played in a combined 10 Game 7s.
“Staying together will not be an issue,” said Golden State head coach Steve Kerr, who is 3-1 all time in Game 7s as a head coach. “This team has been connected and has been through everything. There’s no question the frustration tonight set in. I could see it. The body language. We can’t have that. We can’t afford that in Game 7.
“We’ve got to stay tight the whole way through. I like our chances. I’ve seen what this group can do over the years. We’ve been in a lot of Game 7s, had a lot of success. Jimmy Butler is Jimmy Butler. He’s been in all of these games. He’s one of the clutch performers in the league, so … we’ll get ready. We’ll regroup, be ready to roll.”
Just four days earlier, the Warriors were celebrating a clutch win in Game 4 that gave them a 3-1 lead that felt like a stranglehold on this first-round series. But Houston’s defense, particularly its zone, has suffocated Golden State for stretches in the past two games.
Houston blew open a two-point game at the start of the fourth. VanVleet’s 3-pointer with a foul for a four-point play six seconds into the final quarter sparked a 20-5 run. The Warriors missed 14 of their first 15 shots as Houston’s zone stymied their offense, and they were down 17 with 4:40 remaining.
Golden State shot 13-for-30 against the Houston zone, according to ESPN Research.
“There’s a reason they’re playing a zone for a whole half pretty much,” said Curry, who shot 9-for-23 and had 29 points and seven rebounds. “They’re trying to force a certain type of shot. I took probably four heavily contested deep 3s just to try to will us.
“If they’re going to do this and they’re going to play zone and make certain guys shoot it, then it’s the same way we talk about all season long, regular season, playoffs. … If you have a shot, take it. … You’re out there, be aggressive. Look for your shot. We’ll live with it.”
Butler — who finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists — said he has to be more aggressive on the boards and that the team needs to get to more 50-50 balls.
The Warriors will have to do that in what will be a hostile environment at the Toyota Center, where they were crushed in Game 5. At one point, the Warriors’ starters trailed by as much as 31 early in the third quarter Wednesday.
Still, the Warriors know they can win there as they did in Game 1, 95-85. And they will lean heavily on their Game 7 experience. Butler says the team’s confidence isn’t rattled by losing these past two games.
“All-time high,” Butler described the Warriors’ confidence. “Now, out of all times, it’s win or go home. It’s not wavering. We know how good of a team we are. A couple of us have been here before multiple times. It’s on us to make sure we get it done.”
Green described Game 7s as being “fun.” Curry said he is looking forward to playing in another one for a chance to advance to play the Minnesota Timberwolves next week.
“If you don’t show up with that appropriate mentality, then you got a long vacation ahead of you,” Curry said. “You know you don’t want to be the team that’s packing up.
“We’re packing for a week getting on this plane to go to Texas and hopefully go to Minnesota right after. That’s the approach. I know we’re all excited about the fact that we still have life left even though these last two games haven’t gone our way.”
