With 5:50 remaining in the third quarter and Golden State facing a 29-point deficit on Wednesday, Warriors coach Steve Kerr executed a wholesale substitution of all five starters and opted to sit his frontline players for the remainder of Game 5 in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

The Golden State Warriors missed a chance to clinch the best-of-seven series on the road, and they gave some momentum right back to the Rockets as red-hot Houston ran away for a 131-116 victory to stave off elimination.

With their 2024-25 campaign on the line, the Houston Rockets absolutely annihilated the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, 131-116. Extended garbage time made the final score look a lot closer than the contest actually was.