The Houston Rockets refused to surrender as they kept the season and kept their title hope alive.
After two contraction losses in San Francisco saw them face a tough 3-1 series deficit, the Houston Rockets retaliated fiercely in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference match against the Golden State Warriors.
Turning back against the wall, the Rockets announced their signature performance in the 2025 NBA playoffs, winning a 131-116 victory over the Warriors.
The young Houston team didn’t care much about Steve Kerr’s rulebook rants.
It was a balanced effort for the Rockets, led by 23 markers from Starpoint man Fred Van Lied, with 8-13 shots (4-6 three).
After shaking Stephen Curry’s allegations of dirty demeanor, Dillon Brooks set off with 24 points.
Beyond Vanvleet and Brooks, another rocket became huge, supporting Houston’s must-see game 5 plays.
Rockets Sensory Amen Thompson had the best playoff game of his own young career as he showed an astounding two-way performance.
For 35 minutes, Thompson was an absolute horror on the Golden State sides on either end of the floor, recording 25 points, six boards, three assists, five steels and three blocks. He shot consistently on an 8-12 field goal.
With a sure-fire ball and limiting Stephen Curry to a 13-point display, Thompson tallied an excellent +32 for wire-wire matchups.
He tallied with this incredible all-round statistic, and Thompson submitted his name to the NBA postseason record book and joined Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Elvin Hayes, Rick Barry and others for special milestones.
He is the fifth player in NBA history to score over 25 points, registering at least five stills and three blocks in the playoff game.
Clinching this feat is simply valuable to Thompson, and is thrilling, especially considering that Olajuwon is also on the list.
The Rockets’ all-time high behind the 1994 and 1995 franchise background titles, Olajuwon attended the Warriors against the series, a Houston playoff home game.
“So being on either list with Hakeem clearly means a lot,” Thompson said after the match. “Rick Barry too
“Because I’m still watching Hakeem and he shows love all the time. Being on the list with him means a lot.”
The Rockets expect nothing more than another great performance from Thompson as they return to the Bay Area and get closer to the do and die situation in Game 6.