The Houston Rockets’ first-round opponent of the 2025 NBA playoffs is set to be determined ahead of tonight’s Play-In Tournament game between the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors. The eighth-seeded Grizzlies will hit the road to San Francisco to face a red-hot Warriors squad in what is sure to be an entertaining matchup.
The Rockets have had their fair share of battles between these two teams this season. They lead the season series with the Grizzlies 3-1, while the Warriors are up on them in their respective series, 3-2. Houston should hope that Memphis pulls out a win, because that secures an easier first-round opponent based on numerous factors.
The Grizzlies have been on an obvious downturn through the second half of the season, with a 13-18 record since the Feb. 6 trade deadline. They started the season hot but have struggled to find an offensive rhythm, which contributed to the organization firing head coach Taylor Jenkins with just nine games left in the regular season. There just hasn’t been a sense of consistency in Memphis over the last few months.
The Warriors, on the other hand, have been the opposite. After a rough start to the season, they got sustainable help for Stephen Curry at the trade deadline, acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. Since the blockbuster move, Golden State has gone 23-9 and ranks top 10 in offense, defense, and net rating.
Butler’s presence has added to the Warriors’ defensive prowess, but it has also opened up more scoring opportunities for the rest of the team. Curry was struggling to find his spots due to the lack of elite options around him, but now the team has Butler to take some of the load off.
Just off of recent performance alone, the Rockets should be hoping to face the Grizzlies in round one, but another reason is experience. The Warriors have some elite championship pedigree, and Butler only adds to that. ‘Playoff Jimmy’ is very much a thing, and the last thing Houston needs is for him and Curry to take advantage of a young, up-and-coming team that hasn’t sniffed many high-stakes games.
It’s not so much that the Grizzlies are worse than the Warriors, it’s that Golden State has more reasons to take down the Rockets in an upset. For that, Houston should want Memphis in round one.
