When the Houston Rockets made the tough decision, as a franchise, to tear everything down and start over, after James Harden requested a trade in January of 2021, it meant taking a multiyear break from a LOT of fun things. Indeed, the Rockets took a roughly four season hiatus from things like winning, relevance, good coaching and watchable basketball.
They also, obviously, took a four season break from postseason basketball. What had become an easy calendar filler for April and May every year, became a gigantic chasm in the wake of 60-loss regular seasons. For the most part, that stunk, The only good thing about missing the playoffs was missing out on the annual, metaphorical paddle across the buttocks from the Golden State Warriors.
Yeah, the Rockets would make the playoffs every year, but WAY more often than not, it was the Warriors showing them the exit door, and a more hittable bunch than Steve Kerr, Draymond Green, and Steph Curry, I cannot find! So it stands to reason that, in their grand return to the NBA postseason, that the Rockets would be shown the door in just soul crushing fashion by the Warriors, 4 games to 3, including a Game 7 loss at Toyota Center on Sunday night.
This one was painful, mostly because the Rockets are the more talented team, had the home court advantage, and killed themselves by messing up the little things, most notably free throw shooting, where the Rockets shot 70 percent on the nose. If they make a few more free throws, we are starting up a series with the Minnesota Timberwolves this week.
Instead, the offseason is here, and the Rockets are immediately one of the most fascinating teams in the NBA, with a lottery pick from a trade with the Phoenix Suns in two, and with enough trade rumors for a superstar to shut down the internet. However, pain is pain, and the playoff stings, but exactly how much, compared to other playoff failures versus Golden State? Let’s examine that, in ascending order of sports pain caused, here is the definitive ranking of Rockets playoff losses to Golden State this century:
5. 2016, Warriors 4, Rockets 1
This is, far and away, the least connected that I feel with any of the five losing Rockets teams listed in this article. This team finished 41-41 in the regular season, after firing Kevin McHale 11 games into the season. This was the final iteration of the Rockets that included Dwight Howard and James Harden together, and evidently, both were ready to move on. Fun trivia — J.B. Bickerstaff was the head coach, and he now coaches the Detroit Pistons, as a Coach of the Year finalist.
4. 2015, Warriors 4, Rockets 1
This was the first of the five playoff losses to the Warriors, and the first iteration of the Steph Curry-led Warriors to win an NBA title. After one of the most scintillating series wins in the previous round, coming back from down 3-1 to beat the Clippers, the Rockets went out meekly in the conference finals, with James Harden committing 12 turnovers in the elimination game in Game 5.
3. 2025, Warriors 4, Rockets 3
The series that ended on Sunday comes in third. In terms of “hope despite losing to the Warriors” after the series, this season’s team is easily first in that category, so I should be the least affected by the outcome. however, the Rockets were the more talented team, and after coming back to tie the series at 3-3, winning Game 7 felt SO possible, maybe even probable. The gods just aren’t with us in this rivalry.
2. 2019, Warriors 4, Rockets 2
Now, we are down to the two seasons in which the Rockets had Chris Paul on the team. The second season of Paul comes in second on this list, as the Rockets, after a somewhat disappointing 53-win regular season, were given an opening to win this series when Kevin Durant ruptured his Achilles in Game 5. Unfortunately, the Rockets went on to lose Game 5, and then Game 6 at home. Chris Paul would get traded to Oklahoma City within two months.
1. 2018, Warriors 4, Rockets 3
Chris Paul’s pulled hamstring in Game 5. Missing 27 consecutive three point shots in Game 7. I don’t even need to lay out the nuance. Rocket fans already know. This version of the Rockets win an NBA title if Paul’s hamstring holds up.
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