Facing a significant deficit against the Houston Rockets in Game 5, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr decided to bench Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler midway through the third quarter to conserve energy for a potential Game 6. Houston dominated early, scoring 40 points in the first quarter and maintaining a 27-point lead by halftime, ultimately winning 131-116. Despite the Warriors' bench players closing the gap in the fourth quarter, Kerr opted not to risk his starters further, focusing on the upcoming game. The match saw heightened tensions as Alperen Sengun of the Rockets clashed with the Warriors' Pat Spencer, resulting in Spencer's ejection after a headbutt. The decision to rest key players was strategic, given Curry's age and the tight playoff schedule, aiming to preserve their chances in the series at home.

The Houston Rockets took an early lead against the Golden State Warriors, scoring 40 points in the first quarter and establishing a 27-point lead by halftime, which set the tone for a dominant performance.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, facing a 31-point deficit, benched key starters like Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler midway through the third quarter to conserve their energy for the next game.

Golden State's bench players managed to close the scoring gap in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Rockets 36-24, but ultimately were unable to overcome the initial deficit set by Houston.

The game turned aggressive in the fourth quarter as Alperen Sengun and Pat Spencer got into a physical altercation, leading to Spencer's ejection from the game for headbutting Sengun.

Steve Kerr strategically rested his starters, especially Curry who is 37, with the aim of maintaining their physical condition for Game 6, which would be crucial for closing out the series at home.

Curry's performance in Game 5 was notably below his usual output, with only 13 points scored, marking one of his lower-scoring playoff games but not the lowest in his career.

Kerr admitted post-game that the team was not ready to play as needed, and the decision to pull the starters was made after a halftime discussion with Draymond Green, allowing them five minutes to initiate a comeback before conceding the game.

Needing a win to keep their season alive, the Rockets dominated Game 5 against the Warriors, 131-116, allowing Houston to extend its season.

Houston played with intensity right out of the gate, scoring 40 points in the first quarter and taking a 27-point lead into halftime. Then, as the Rockets kept that lead in the second half, they forced Warriors coach Steve Kerr to make an unusual move.

Kerr emptied his bench midway through the third quarter as Golden State was facing a daunting deficit of, at one instance, 31 points. Instead of trying to put together a comeback, Kerr seemed to concede this game while already up 3-1, preparing for Game 6 on Friday night instead.

Golden State's backups did close the gap, as the Warriors outscored the Rockers 36-24 in the fourth quarter. Moses Moody ended the game as the Warriors' leading scorer with 22 points, while Pat Spencer chipped in for 11 and Kevin Knox had 14.

The game even got feisty in the fourth quarter between the Rockets starters and the Warriors backups. Alperen Sengun got into a scuffle with Trayce Jackson-Davis and Pat Spencer, leading to Spencer getting ejected from the game for head-butting the Rockets forward.

WARRIORS-ROCKETS SCUFFLE 😳

Pat Spencer gets ejected after headbutting Şengün. pic.twitter.com/7HbtzzNB4o

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 1, 2025

However, despite the Warriors' backups' best efforts, Houston took Game 5 to extend the series to a sixth game. Even as Golden State was making a comeback, Kerr only subbed in Buddy Hield, as the rest of the starters remained sidelined.

Here's a breakdown of Kerr's decision in Game 5.

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Why isn't Stephen Curry playing in Game 5?

Curry played 23 minutes on Wednesday night, beginning the game with his usual rotation. However, head coach Steve Kerr decided to bench Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler midway through the third quarter, as the Warriors faced a 30-point deficit.

This should allow Curry, who is 37, to not exhaust himself with a Game 6 coming in just two days on Friday night. The Warriors will return home to try and close out the series with a third home win.

After the game, Kerr explained that he spoke with Green and agreed to give the starters five minutes to make a run before pulling them. When Kerr made the move, Golden State was down 93-64 with 5:50 left in the third quarter.

Steve Kerr: “I didn’t have them ready to play clearly.”

He said there was a halftime conversation with Draymond Green to give the starters five minutes to make a run and pull the plug if they didn’t pic.twitter.com/BThLDI51SL

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 1, 2025

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Stephen Curry stats

Here's how Curry performed during Game 5 vs. Houston.

• Minutes: 23
• Points: 13
• Rebounds: 3
• Assists: 7
• FGA/FGM: 4/12
• 3PA/3PM: 3/9
• FGM/FGA: 2/3

Stephen Curry lowest-scoring playoff games

Curry's 13 points are not his typical output, but it is not his fewest points in a playoff game. In 2016, Curry scored just six in Game 4 of Golden State's first-round series vs. the Rockets. In fact, there have been five instances where Curry scored fewer points in a playoff game.