ClutchFans Game Thread: Warriors @ Rockets 4/30/2025 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 5)

What's crazy is how they ejected that Pat guy for a little head bump but refused to eject Draymond when the ref admitted he intentionally swung his legs into Tari's head.

That is the perfect example of NBA favoritism right there. If Draymond goes full Zidane on one of our players game 6 the refs will not eject him because he's Draymond and the they know without him the Warriors have no shot.

If the ref ejected Draymond game 4 (as they should have) we're up 3-2 right now. The Warriors defense is straight garbage without Draymond. Especially against teams with bigs that can score.

 

FVV was huge tonight but playing half court systems will beat them. Can't win with athleticism. Have to make shots

 

It's the WWE: the refs really wanted the warriors to win game 4, so the warriors "won".

Does the nba want the warriors or the rockets to win game 6?

 

If this is the narrative Lakers wouldnt have lost.

This series would be done by now if Rockets didnt miss their fts. This loss is on the, not the refs

Last game Rockerts missed more than 10 fts they lost by 3 and you are blaming the refs? Other than Donkey getting away with murder all the time and not getting ejected there hasn't been any major disruption by the refs, they are even doing the Rockets a favor by allowing physical defense on Steph. Any other star that gets hugged like him that's a foul.

 

The Wolves have the next NBA superstar that the league wants to pump out there though. Promoting Edwards as one of the faces as the new era of stars may be more important than keeping the Lakers in this time around. Luka and the Lakers will be back next year.

 

Rewatching the game now Jalen started off amazing but bumped knees with Curry and was never the same. You know what I take that injury for njury lol. The rest of the team played great, yeah the third unit got their ass handed to them ok w/e they arent playing except in blowouts anyway.

Curry has an injured thumb, is prob tired and now bumped knees with Jalen he is also old at age 37. Jimmy B is playing hurt from that fall he has zero lift and it is clear he is playing thru pain. The other players in GSW including Donkey are just replacement level role players, to be honest GSW is a trash team held up by the greatness of Steph Curry and whatever smoke and mirrors Kerr can employ. Rox shouldn't have any trouble with this team in the first place they just got outcoached and forgot how to make their fts.

While winning 3 straight seems impossible given how GSW is on its last legs I think Rox can do it as long as everyone is sufficiently prepared by the coaching staff. it all hinges on Ime not getting outcoached by Kerr and not caught flat footed.

 

Luka is just as big a face or even bigger than Ant. Also pretty clear from watching the game Gobert was the one who dominated that game not Ant. Lebron, Luka and Reeves all shot 30s and below FG%. Gobert was like 12/15 or something.

If I believe your logic then Rox should be the one favored by NBA right? Sengun is young Curry is old just like Lebron. Don't tell me they don't want old Lebron but want to push Old Curry and Jimmy B? If the NBA was pushing Curry then they should also push Lebron for the Curry vs Lebron matchup/legacy series. Doesn't make any sense they will sacrifice Lebron but then push Curry thru. What's the narrative there supposed to be?

 

The beauty of a conspiracy theory is that you can twist it to any facts as they present themselves.

If the Lakers had won: “see, the league is rigged for the Lakers, like we have all been incessantly saying.”

The Lakers get smoked: “see, Ant is the new face of the league, but the Lakers will be back next year (why? Because conspiracy).”

One cannot debate with an idea that, because it is based on mostly just animus and distrust — it has no real foundation or basis to refute.

Maybe, it’s just a load of nonsense.

What’s the conspiracy take on how a team from Denver, whose best player is a chubby Eastern European, smoked the Lakers in embarrassing fashion in back to back seasons?

 

I'm not talking about who dominated the game last night. Just who the league will want to market. Luka is a well known establishment. Ant is basically there too but he plays an exciting game.

 

Luka is in LA and LA is a bigger market than Minessotta. KG was there for decades nothing happened and KG even won MVP. Don't tell me KG doesnt play an exciting game lol

NBA would want to market Lebron and Steph not Ant and Steph. Either Lebron and Steph or Sengun and Ant. Old vs old or New vs New. Ant and Steph have no connection there is no story there for marketing purposes.

 

All I'm saying is Ant being the next young superstar and in a smaller market may mean the league wants to pump his brand more. Not that they helped the Wolves win but they aren't crying that Anthony Edward's, a marketable name, is advancing.

Obviously LA is bigger than Minnesota. Why are you bringing up KG?

All I said was Ant is one of the leagues next superstars that can be one of the faces for the next 10 years. Him going deeper into the playoffs again helps with his marketing now and in the future.

 

I am bringing up KG cuz KG was also a young and up and coming star once and being in Minny people really didnt care about him including NBA. The only reason people are talking about Ant now is because he eliminated Lebron and the Lakers. Go to twitter more tweets of Lebron losing than Ant winning.

I agree with your bolded statement but thats not enough to make NBA tilt games in his favor. Lebron and Curry are in their last leg of their career from a marketing perspective its dumb to prioritize Ant over a Lebron vs Steph matchup knowing it could be their last. I am saying if the refs are corrupt and NBA is rigging it for marketing you would have the opposite result.

 

I just know I ain't going after Curry's thumb

 

I think his thumb bothered him more than he let on. It got smacked real bad this game and he seemed out of it. Kerr probably told him to punt this game and let his thumb heal tonight. He hasn’t really talked about it during the postgame interviews but he did last night

 

Rockets will make sure that tumb stays numb the next game forward.

 

A game 7 would mean a lot for this young core. Preferably with a win but even in a lost it would do wonders for their introduction to the playoffs. And would make them attractive to stars to push a championship contender to the max. The outside perspective would be that they’re one piece away

 

Remember the Grizzlies-Warriors series in 2022?

A Morant-less Grizzlies team that was down 1-3 forced a game 6 after blowing the warriors out at home.

Warriors hustled their butts off in game 6 to grab 70 boards as a team (25 on the offensive glass) and dominated the game despite shooting only 39% overall.

Draymond and Looney combined for 37 boards.

Brooks and Adams both started for the Grizzlies.

Keys for game 6 this Friday:
- Focus on game 6 instead of game 7.
- Continue to avoid techs (Amen would’ve gotten one in game 5 for screaming at Payton if we were in SF).
- Unlike the ‘22 Grizzlies, who were missing Morant, all our guys should be ready to go for game 6. Stay out of all kinds of trouble including foul trouble
- Keep Looney-Donkey-Post-Butler off the offensive glass
- Expect curry, butler, and hield to dial their usage rates way up

 

No they won't. Lakers are done

 

They both have fukfaceitis, that's for sure.

 

While they are a system on Offense and couple shooters away.....