Without Butler in the lineup, the Warriors struggled offensively in the 109–94 loss—star Steph Curry once said Butler makes the Warriors' possessions easier, so his absence naturally threw a wrench into the Warriors' plans to snatch away two wins during the Rockets' playoff homestand.

The Rockets are built on being a big, physical team that wants to dominate opponents into submission. They ranked fourth in the NBA in defensive rating during the regular season and have held the Warriors to an average of 94.5 points per contest in the first two games of this series.

Feeling the pressure after losing Game 1 of their opening-round playoff series to the Warriors, the Rockets came out strong in Wednesday's Game 2 and remained hot in the 109-94 win. The Rockets got 38 points from star Jalen Green, who went 8-for-18 from behind the 3-point arc.