Preview: Warriors, Dub Nation look to give Rockets hell in Game 3

The Warriors may not have Jimmy Butler available, but at least they have the best home crowd in the NBA giving them life.

Just when it seemed the Warriors had discovered their post-Klay identity with Jimmy Butler as Steph Curry’s new running mate, we’re staring down the barrel of another pivotal playoff game marked by that most frustrating of Warriors traditions: wondering if an injured star can suit up.

Butler’s status remains the elephant in Chase Center after Amen Thompson’s controversial undercut sent Jimmy crashing to the hardwood in Game 2. Steve Kerr is cautiously noting there’s “a chance he plays” Saturday night. The MRI revealed no structural damage, but Butler’s pain tolerance will determine if he can go. The series is tied 1-1 with the Houston Rockets, this is a huge Game 3.

Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets

When: April 26th, 2025 | 5:30 PM PT

TV: ABC

Radio: 95.7 The Game

Meanwhile, Jalen Green’s Game 2 metamorphosis has Houston strutting into San Francisco with newfound swagger. The 22-year-old’s evolution from Game 1’s brick-laying apprentice (3-of-15) to Game 2’s flame-throwing assassin (38 points) represents the kind of Jekyll-and-Hyde transformation that keeps defensive coaches awake at night.

The Alperen Şengün problem isn’t going away either. The 22-year-old Turkish big man continues manufacturing double-doubles with assembly-line efficiency, averaging 21.5 points and 12.5 rebounds through two games. His .515 shooting percentage suggests the Warriors’ interior defense has been about as effective as a screen door on a submarine.

If Butler can’t go, Jonathan Kuminga’s role becomes critically important. His Game 2 debut (11 points on 4-of-12 shooting) showed flashes of the athleticism that could potentially neutralize some of Houston’s physical advantages, but his rhythm appeared off after falling out of the rotation since the regular season finale. Remember December when he torched these same Rockets? That version of JK would be most welcome Saturday night.

The solution starts and ends with Stephen Curry (25.5 PPG, 6.0 APG in the series) leveraging his gravitational pull to create opportunities for others. When Houston inevitably sends multiple defenders his way, Moses Moody (9.5 PPG), Podziemski (7.0 PPG), and the rest of the supporting cast need to convert the resulting open looks with the confidence of shooters who actually believe the ball is going in.

Chase Center needs to become a fortress Saturday night. The kind of place where role players transform from Clark Kent to Superman with remarkable regularity, where Dillon Brooks’ “Draymond’s dirty” accusations fall on deaf ears, and where the Warriors remind this young Rockets squad about the difference between regular season heroics and playoff execution.

Game 3 isn’t just another postseason contest—it’s the difference between controlling your destiny and staring down the barrel of elimination basketball.