Warriors will see some new faces in playoff rematch against Rockets
Posted November 26, 2025
Six months after the Warriors eliminated the Rockets in seven games of April’s first-round playoff series, the teams are set for the sequel.
Some of the themes will be similar on Wednesday night, but many of Houston’s leading actors and circumstances have changed.
Gone from the Rockets’ lineup are Jalen Green and the mercurial Dillon Brooks, now in Phoenix as part of an epic seven-team trade that brought Kevin Durant to Houston (and included the Warriors acquiring rookie Alex Toohey). But the superstar who helped lead the Warriors to back-to-back titles will miss the game for personal reasons.
But the Warriors, coming off a 134-117 drubbing of the Jazz on Monday night, are facing issues of their own, and the Rockets are a different beast.
“With all due respect to Utah, Houston is one of the elite teams in the league,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
The Warriors could look a little different on Wednesday night, as well. Longtime Houston antagonist Draymond Green might miss the matchup with a sprained foot. Jonathan Kuminga will be out for a seventh straight game with knee soreness, and Al Horford will be sidelined because of sciatica.
And if there is one team that can test the Warriors’ paper-thin frontcourt, it is the Rockets and their behemoth double-big lineup with Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun.
The Rockets led the league in offensive rebounds a year ago, and they’ve doubled down on crashing the boards in Year 3 under coach Ime Udoka.
They averaged a league-high 16.5 offensive rebounds per game, or 35% of their missed shots.
Once again, it is immovable 7-footer Adams who paces the team in that department. In just 22.2 minutes per game, he’s grabbing a league-high 5.2 offensive boards a night.
Sengun, Clint Capela and San Leandro native Amen Thompson all average over two a night. Thus, corralling the Rockets on the glass will be a top priority for Golden State as it looks to regain some momentum after snapping a three-game losing streak.
“We’ve got to prepare for them and be ready for their force,” Kerr said.
The Warriors rank 22nd in overall rebounding and 21st in offensive rebounding, and are well aware that the Rockets present problems after missed shots.
However, they received a boost of vitality Monday night. Gary Payton II wrecked Utah with his constant activity – eight assists and four rebounds were a testament to that – leading Buddy Hield to dub him a “6-2 center.”
He was not Green, but he sure did a great impression.
“(Draymond) demands a lot on the court and he does a lot for us on the court, and with him out, just trying to fill his activity, and what he does, and what he brings to the team, and do a little bit of everything,” Payton said of his performance Monday night.
One matchup on the perimeter is more familiar after Thompson made a name for himself in the playoffs by guarding Curry uber-physically.
Curry scored 31 against the Jazz and will need to have a big night against a Rockets defense that might double him with more frequency than Utah did.
“They were doing a lot of switching so I could kind of go to work one-on-one more than other teams,” Curry said of his approach against Utah.
Curry alone attempted 17 3-pointers on Monday night, making six of them, while the Warriors were 19-of-52 as a team. They’re second in the league with 44.1 attempts per game.
Unlike the Warriors, Houston does not take many shots from behind the line — but the Rockets make them count. The Rockets are dead last in 3-point attempts per game at 30.3 but they make an NBA-best 42%.
When teams scramble defensively after Houston’s offensive boards, that leaves shooters such as Reed Sheppard and Jabari Smith Jr. wide open on the perimeter to punish teams who can’t close out possessions.
Draymond, Kuminga return to court
Draymond Green practiced Tuesday, coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the Warriors’ workout session. He is questionable for Wednesday’s game against Houston.
Jonathan Kuminga remains out for the game but did some 3-on-3 work before the team’s practice. The Warriors plan for him to return to some 5-on-5 time pregame Wednesday, then the training staff will evaluate him again.
Jahmyr Gibbs' Week 12 fantasy performance was as historic as it seemed
For much of Week 12 against the New York Giants, the Detroit Lions were on the ropes and it looked likely they would lose to a 2-win team at home. But running back
It's not quite playoff time in fantasy football, at least in most leagues, but Gibbs surely rescued the season of some of his managers with his showing against the Giants (219 rushing yards, 11 catches for 45 yards, three total touchdowns). In full PPR scoring, he posted 55.4 points. In full PPR leagues where bonuses are awarded for yardage markers, there's a chance he topped 60 fantasy points.
Somewhere in-between, say 0.5-point PPR with aforementioned yardage bonuses, would have of course landed Gibbs between 55 and 60 fantasy points.
It sure is something when 49.9 fantasy points, in straight-up 0.5-point PPR, feels low by comparison to other scoring formats.
To put it succinctly, it would've been quite an unlucky circumstance for a Gibbs fantasy manager to have lost in Week 12. But if you're in multiple leagues, it may be possible to find a Gibbs' manager who took an "L" despite his massive performance.
Jahmyr Gibbs' fantasy performance in Week 12 was as historic it seemed in the moment
"Overtime, and his 69-yard, game-winning rushing touchdown within said extra period, helped his cause, but Gibbs' 55.4 fantasy point performance -- the season's best single-game score thus far -- warrants celebration nevertheless."
"It's tied for the 12th-best performance by a running back in NFL history and tied for 22nd among players at any position."
"Per Next Gen Stats, Gibbs rushed for 145 more yards than expected and had 15.5 rushing estimated points added, both the best single-game numbers of 2025."
"He now has three games with at least 36 fantasy points in his past five, and he's averaging more yards per carry for the season (6.1) than he did in either of his first two seasons. Gibbs is a championship-caliber player for fantasy managers heading into their playoffs, and it's good to see him performing at this high a level considering his remaining schedule is considered below average."
But for the unfortunate few of his fantasy managers, Gibbs was a literal week-winner on a rare, historic level in Week 12. Moving forward, he also might be a literal league-winner this year (again).
