The Golden State Warriors may not have put on an offensive clinic, but the self-proclaimed “Batman and Robin” duo of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler stole Game 1 with a gritty 95-85 win over the Houston Rockets. In a rock fight that harkened back to 90s basketball, Curry delivered a vintage playoff performance, dropping a game-high 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting, while Butler posted a historic stat line of 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and five steals — just the second 25/5/5/5 playoff game recorded this century.
After the game, Butler couldn’t help but marvel at Curry’s clutch brilliance, once again leaning into the “Batman” nickname he’s bestowed on his teammate.
“Like I always say, Batman comes out of nowhere,” Butler said. “You never see him coming, and then he just falls from the sky, from a building, behind a door, and does some incredible things. He’s going to be the reason that we do win it all. We all know that. We’ve got to protect him at all costs.”
Curry’s fingerprints were all over the Warriors’ victory, especially in a game where offense was hard to come by. With both teams struggling to find a rhythm, Curry kept the Dubs afloat, hitting one difficult jumper after another, including an insane fadeaway corner three to cap off a critical Warriors run in the third quarter. In a night dominated by defensive stops and missed shots, Curry’s shot-making was the ultimate difference-maker.
In the same postgame interview, Butler emphasized the importance of the Warriors’ recent downtime between the play-in tournament and the start of the playoffs.
“Just rest,” Butler said. “Getting some rest, clearing our minds, knowing that we got one job to do: come in here and compete and try to steal one on the road.”
While Curry and Butler carried most of the load, Golden State’s young guns also stepped up when it mattered. Moses Moody only finished with seven points on 2-of-5 shooting, but five of those points came in clutch moments late in the fourth quarter. He buried a midrange jumper to keep the Warriors’ lead steady at six with under six minutes left, then drilled a corner three that silenced a Rockets run after Fred VanVleet had cut the lead to four.
Brandin Podziemski shined on the defensive end, grabbing eight rebounds and two steals. His energy was critical in helping the undersized Warriors fend off the Rockets’ relentless crashing of the glass. Perhaps his biggest play came when he drew a foul on Amen Thompson, immediately daring the Rockets to challenge. Houston lost the challenge and burned a valuable timeout, a small moment that had major implications down the stretch.
After the win, Draymond Green made sure to shout out the young duo’s performance.
“It was huge,” Green said. “To see those guys step up the way they did, Moses hit a huge three and BP made big plays down the stretch, [especially] getting fouled on the play where [Amen] Thompson tried to take a charge. It was great to see those guys step up to the challenge, and we need that to get three more wins.”
Looking ahead, one thing is clear: this series won’t be won with pretty, up-tempo basketball. It’s going to be a battle. The Rockets’ physicality was a major factor all night, especially on the boards where they outrebounded Golden State 52-30 — including 22-6 on the offensive glass. Alperen Sengün (26 points) and Steven Adams bullied their way inside, giving Houston second and third opportunities and keeping them within striking distance despite Curry’s heroics.
Steve Kerr acknowledged the old-school nature of the series after the game.
“They’re not a typical modern NBA team in terms of spreading you out, playing fast, and shooting a million threes,” Kerr said. “They are kind of old school. In many ways, they are in the image of their coach. Ime [Udoka] was a grinder as a player. He was tough and physical. That’s what Houston is. It felt like 1997 out there. It was a completely different NBA game than what we are used to. We’ve got to be ready for that, this is what this series will be.”
As the Warriors prepare for Game 2, the mission remains the same: lean on the brilliance of Curry, the grit of Butler, and the youthful energy of their emerging role players — all while bracing for the Rockets’ bruising, relentless style. It’s going to be a slugfest, but after Game 1, Golden State has proven they’re more than willing to trade punches.
