Game 2 updates: Rockets look to even their first-round playoff series versus Warriors

HOUSTON — In Wednesday’s Game 2 (box score) at Toyota Center, the Rockets are attempting to even their series versus the Warriors in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. Golden State won Sunday’s Game 1 in the same building.

The stakes are significant. With a home win, the second-seeded Rockets would tie their best-of-seven, Western Conference series versus the seventh-seeded Warriors. That would effectively make it a best-of-five heading into Saturday’s Game 3 from San Francisco’s Chase Center.

But with a loss, Golden State would take a 2-0 lead while also having the next two games at home. In that scenario, the Rockets would need at least one road victory in Game 3 or Game 4 simply to avoid elimination, and they would need to take both in order to regain home-court advantage before a potential Game 5 back in Houston.

Thus, Game 2 is an extremely important game to the Rockets. All-Star center Alperen Sengun was outstanding in Game 1 with 26 points and 9 rebounds on better than 60% shooting, but the starting backcourt of Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green struggled massively (shooting barely above 20% overall and 10% on 3-pointers). In Wednesday’s rematch, Houston is looking for superior production from its guards.

Read on for highlights, statistics, gameday interviews, and real-time updates.

Rockets:

Fred VanVleet, No. 5, guard
Jalen Green, No. 4, guard
Dillon Brooks, No. 9, forward
Amen Thompson, No. 1, forward
Alperen Sengun, No. 28, center

Warriors:

Steph Curry, No. 30, guard
Brandin Podziemski, No. 2, guard
Moses Moody, No. 4, forward
Jimmy Butler, No. 10, forward
Draymond Green, No. 23, center
Date: Wednesday, April 23
Location: Toyota Center, Houston
Channels: Space City Home Network, TNT

Rockets:

Jae’Sean Tate, right ankle impingement
Jack Landale, right knee contusion

Warriors:

Records and statistics (relative to the 30 NBA teams) during 2024-25:

Houston (52-30): No. 7 net rating (4.6), No. 12 offensive rating (114.9), No. 5 defensive rating (110.3)
Golden State (48-34): No. 10 net rating (3.2), No. 16 offensive rating (114.2), No. 7 defensive rating (111.0)

All times are p.m. and Central.