All the good vibes the Golden State Warriors generated with their Game 1 victory over the Houston Rockets have gone out the window with a disastrous start to Game 2.
Not only are the Rockets taking it to Golden State on the scoreboard, but now Jimmy Butler has been ruled out for the remainder of the game with a pelvic contusion that he suffered on a hard fall in the first quarter. He is expected to receive an MRI on Thursday, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.
On top of this, guard Brandin Podziemski is also back in the locker room and is questionable to return with a stomach illness that nearly kept him out of the game from the start.
That’s two starters — at the moment — out for the Warriors, who are suddenly having to throw some lineups on the floor that Steve Kerr never would’ve guessed he’d have to deploy. Jonathan Kuminga and Pat Spencer, both of whom were completely out of the rotation in Game 1, saw major minutes in the second quarter.
Even before Butler got hurt, the Warriors were being taken completely out of their game by Houston’s physicality on both ends. The officials are really letting these team play — not just in this series but across the playoffs, and it is allowing a team like Houston to really rough up the Warriors, who are plenty tough in their own right but lack the athleticism that can make it a little easier to create space and get downhill against tight pressure.
Down 60-46 at halftime, you have to wonder if the Warriors are going to punt pretty early on this game if they’re not able to make some kind of miracle run. Kerr was already concerned about how many minutes he had to play Stephen Curry in the first game, and the more unlikely it becomes that they have any chance of winning Game 2, he may use it as a chance to at least get his older stars some rest as they gear up for Game 3 back home on Saturday.
