Rockets Rising: The Next Era of Houston Rockets Basketball – Episode 28
But we tip things off with Steph and the Warriors starting yet another playoff run against a Rocket squad who despite having the second best record in the West came into this first round series a little light on playoff experience. In fact, the Rockets as a team hadn’t been to the playoffs since 2020. Steph, well, he’s been there a few times. Got a few rings to show for it. You look at Fred Jaylen. Um, I’m in, you know, didn’t have their usual night shooting and and still had our chance. So, um, said to the group, guarded well enough, got to have a better offensive show and get our spacing down and and take care of the ball. It happened. Forget that. We have more games to come. I feel like not listening to that stuff about, you know, playoffs falling down. I mean, if we can speed up the game, let’s speed up the game. We can be some of the best teams all year. We uh play our best game, we can beat anybody. the the unforced turnovers, trying to make the home run play, not keeping it simple. You can’t do that in a playoff series, especially going against an experienced Golden State Warrior team. The driving gaps are going to close. The scouting report gets thicker and now all of a sudden, you got to make plays. And I’m looking at a guy like Jaylen Green. He got to come through. He’s auditioning at the moment. They talking about maybe having whispers and rumors, you know, out there about trading for Kevin Durant. Well, guess what, Jaylen Green? if you don’t show up, they talking about you. Um, but yeah, that that first game, you know, the the lights were bright, the crowd was here. Um, the court looked huge. Um, so yeah, I couldn’t I couldn’t really get a chance to, you know, settle in. My legs was a little little shaky, but um, you know, that’s part of it. [Music] Game two wasn’t about adjustment. It was about [Music] identity. As Jaylen Green [Music] is a misunderstand about who you belong to. Better start from Jaylen Green here tonight in game two. Already three helpers. that one to then rockets up by six. [Music] Don’t wake him up. He’s a guy that can respond to some trash talk. Oh my goodness. Jaylen Green. [Applause] Late in the first quarter, Jimmy Butler went down with what would later be diagnosed as a pelvic contusion. Oh, Jimmy Butler undercut fell right down on his tailbone. And Amen. Thompson is also down. He was the guy who undercut him. And Butler’s now checked out. And he is he’s Yeah, he’s going to the back. Yeah, he’s heading back to their locker room along with a member of their medical staff. With Butler sideline, the Rockets surged. Green for three. He gets it to go. Jaylen Green, humbled in the opener, came out roaring. A flamethrower from the jump. He hit eight threes and poured in 38 points. He was everything Rockets fans hoped he would be. Aggressive, assertive, fearless. Double spin cycle. There’s one. There’s two. Come with me. Finally, I get the foul and one. I got the shoulders up. I’m flexing. Sangan added 17 and 16 while Tari Een’s relentless energy off the bench shifted momentum. [Music] Six straight for the Rockets. On the heels of the 90s, they turn it over. Here’s Thompson to Jaylen Green. It’s true for Houston. The lead is back to 19. Um, you know, I’m happy I was able to, you know, show up with him this game. Um, you know, first game jitters was a little over my head, but, um, yeah, I’m glad we, you know, we got the win. Um, you know, the job not done yet. So, you know, we got to go to the bay and, you know, handle business. Houston led wire towire. The series was now tied and the tone reset. And now the series is tied at one a piece as the Rockets try to go into San Francisco and get one back, at least one back for the Warriors with the series now shifting to the Bay Area for games three and four. Let’s go. [Music] The Warriors, they’re back in the Bay for the first time this postseason with their series nodded at one game a piece with the Houston Rockets. Shabs, what is Butler status with tip off less than an hour away here. Malikica Jimmy Butler is out tonight in game three against the Houston Rockets. He has a deep contusion in his largest glute muscle. He literally cannot move well enough to play basketball tonight. Jonathan Kaminga will go from not playing to starting in place of Jimmy Butler. But it’s bigger than Jonathan Kaminga when it comes down to the Golden State Warriors. Steph got to have one of them tonight. Mhm. You at the crib. You’re the best player in this series. It’s time. It’s time for you to show up and show out. Game three, San Francisco. The stage belonged to the greatest shooter the game has ever seen. Welcome to the NBA playoffs presented by Google. It’s the Warriors and the Rockets from San Francisco. It’s the first round presented by ESPN Bet Sportsbook. From Chase Center in San Francisco, it’s game three between the Warriors and the Rockets as the venue changes from Houston to San Francisco. As we come on inside Chase Center, Steve Cerr with an outstanding record in opening round series. Steph Curry has only lost once in the first round. He’s seven and [Music] one. Jay, it’s going to be interesting to watch Jaylen Green to see if he can take that momentum from game two and carry it into game three here and how they guard him. Green and Shenun at the circle and the Warriors will have the game’s first possession. My life is in your name. Girl, I really really hate to lose you. I just got to keep on moving. [Music] I’m so tired. Another lowscoring trending game between these two teams. Green snakes the screen. Shenun great ball fake and smoked the dunk. And that’s the end of the first 12 minutes of play. Houston with a four-point advantage. Jaylen Green with his second field goal on this three ball. But Golden State’s only put 22 points on the board thus far in the game. That’s remarkable. One field goal in the last 8 minutes plus for Steph Curry and the Warriors. The Rockets in the midst of a 174 sprint right now. Golden State trying to turn the beat around. Curry healed to the back court post with Draymond Green and Pensky. The five on the floor for the Warriors. We might be seeing a hacker Adams strategy by Steve Kerr, but you can sense things turning over a little bit offensively for Golden State. The Warriors with a rally to end that first half of play. They close it on a nine to nothing sprint. Steph Curry had 13 points in that second period. Oh, Curry got a bird in the sky. Knocked down the [Applause] [Music] three. With Butler still out, Curry shouldered the load and then some. 36 points, seven rebounds, nine assists. Every screen, every hesitation, a calculated dagger. Shot making beyond comprehension. Houston chased shadows. Just beautiful by Steph Curry. He is an artist at work out there. Well, as the inbounder, Jonathan Kaminga just let him go right past him. And then Steph on the cross. The three on the way. Got it. The stare down three was pure. 30 points in the game for Steph Curry. After his struggles in game one when Green had just seven points, assistant coach Royale Ivy sat him down and knowing that it was his first time in the postseason said, “Hey, Jaylen, you need to manifest what you want. You’re a top five shooting guard in the NBA. You need to say it out loud. I am a winning player. I am succeeding. You need to speak it into existence.” And that’s what Green did in the aftermath of their conversation. And he came out and scored 38 in game two. He’s only got nine in this one. But I’ll tell you, Mark, the free throw line has been a tough spot for Houston in this game. They’re 12 of 22. Curry against Green. Six on the shot clock for three. It’s wet. a nine-point loss on the road, but it felt heavier. Warriors 2, Rockets one. And really the defense for Golden State has been the separating factor in this game. Swarming to the ball, Draymond Green reading the play early and getting it out to Gary Payeyton who’s had a fantastic game, especially in the second half. Jaylen Green talked earlier about how he used to drive on Highway 99 from Fresno to Oakland to work out with Steph Curry, but this series has been all about business for Curry, Green, and everybody else involved. Jaylen Green went to Steph Curry’s elite camp, that Under Armour camp, and clearly Steph didn’t share all of his secrets. up to 35. So, Golden State without Jimmy Butler, folks will win this game and go up two games to one of the series. Game four will be Monday [Applause] night. Perk Becker with us. Look, the Rockets had a tremendous season to get that number two seed. They earned it. They deserved it. But dudes are young on that squad and they’re facing a team led by Steph Curry that is full of playoff experience. How can Houston overcome that disadvantage they have in playoff experience? Well, well, Ease, they’re going to have to make shots, right? Uh small details that win you or lose you a game. Uh it’s really come down to that for both teams in this series. Um you know, and like I said, we know what each other is doing at this point. It’s who can execute the details. I think both teams are guarding at a at a high level. That’s who can really take advantage offensively of certain things. They have their players and schemes they like to get to. We’ve seen it enough that we should take away some of those actions and not be late on some of our communication there. And then conversely on their end um you know stopping our offensive rebound, stopping our transition and turning us over. That’s those are things that have hurt us. So all those small details and um but whoever does them better in the game has has been the winner so far. I will say one thing if I’m coach Adopa and the Rockets they they can’t shoot the ball but they’ve been right there in every game. So you got to say to guys if we can just make some shots.
Legacy and Fire: Rockets vs Warriors Playoff War (Game 2 and 3 Recap) | Rockets Rising Ep 28
📌 What’s inside this episode:
— Game 2: Jalen Green explodes for 38 points and Houston punches back with fury
— Game 3: Steph strikes again in San Francisco as the Warriors reclaim control
Their season’s on the line.
The energy is different now.
Watch the full breakdown in Rockets Rising: Legacy and Fire 🎬
🟥 “This ain’t the regular season. This is war.”
Steph. Jimmy. Jalen. Şengün.
The first three games of the Rockets-Warriors playoff series have delivered playoff chaos:
🔥 Game 1: Steph stuns Houston
🔥 Game 2: Green goes nuclear for 38
🔥 Game 3: Warriors hold serve in SF
👉 Hit subscribe and turn on notifications to stay locked in for Game 4 and beyond. Next episode coming this weekend!
🛑 Don’t miss the drama. Don’t miss the rise.
The Rockets built all year for this.
But Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and the Warriors had other plans…
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