The Golden State Warriors fought hard and managed to secure their place in the playoffs despite a rocky finish to the regular season, having lost two of their last three games, including a disheartening match against the San Antonio Spurs. They entered the Play-In Tournament for the fourth time in five years.

On Tuesday night, the Warriors narrowly defeated Memphis with a score of 121-116, clinching the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Their reward? A challenging first-round matchup against the second-seeded Houston Rockets. This is not entirely unfavorable for the Warriors, as they beat Houston three times during the regular season, including two victories on the Rockets’ home turf.

The burning question remains: Can Golden State outplay the Rockets and set up a clash with the winner of the Lakers versus Timberwolves series?

Odds are on their side, with the Warriors being labeled as -200 favorites against the Rockets, who are seen as +165 underdogs. Meanwhile, game total predictions suggest their series could last 5.5 games, with several potential outcomes highlighted.

However, Ric Bucher, an analyst at FOX Sports, foresees trouble for the Warriors, primarily due to Curry’s ongoing thumb injury. Bucher elaborated why he believes the Warriors might not last long in the playoffs during a recent episode of “The Facility.” He commented:

“I just look at the group around [Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler]. You’re relying on Brandin Podziemski for significant minutes. You have Quinten Post, Gui Santos, and Buddy Hield, who has yet to perform notably in the postseason.”

In his view, while Curry and Butler remain capable in critical moments, he has witnessed instances where Curry, even with superior teams, struggled to secure wins. And this year’s squad doesn’t seem to be formidable enough.

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