Warriors return home to Chase Center with another chance to close out 1st-round series with Rockets

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — With his team trailing by 27 points to the red-hot Houston Rockets at halftime, coach Steve Kerr pulled Golden State emotional leader Draymond Green aside for a quick chat and to ask his opinion.

Should the Warriors plan to save their starters for what looked like an inevitable Game 6 in two days if things became any more out of hand after intermission? Green suggested Kerr should give the group five more minutes to see what could be done with the deficit.

It only got worse. And Kerr sent in the backups with 5:50 left in the third quarter of an embarrassing 131-116 loss Wednesday night so his Warriors can turn their attention at trying again to close out the first-round series back home Friday night.

“I wasn’t going to chase this game, obviously with Game 6 coming up in 48 hours," Kerr said. "So I talked to Draymond. I said, ‘What do you think?’ He said five minutes, so we gave the starting group the first five or six minutes and unless we had made a huge run, kind of had it in mind that we would pull the plug.”

The Warriors missed a chance to clinch the best-of-seven series on the road, and they gave some momentum right back to the Rockets. Golden State leads 3-2.

“The game got away from us early last night,” Kerr said Thursday. “We got a little scattered, and that’s on me.”

Kerr said forward Jonathan Kuminga will be available after sitting out Wednesday with a migraine.

Jimmy Butler, Stephen Curry and Green will need to forget their Game 5 blowout fast and now count on their experience in big games as they return to Chase Center to get past second-seeded Houston, which staved off elimination with a dominant performance.

“We're fine. Our confidence isn't going to waiver,” Butler said. “We're going to start out better and play a better overall game.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves are waiting for the winner to begin the Western Conference semifinals. While the Warriors couldn’t close their series on the road with a 3-1 lead, Rudy Gobert led the way as Minneapolis ended the season for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 103-96.

And given the blowout, the Golden State starters should be plenty fresh — Rockets coach Ime Udoka re-inserted his core group with the lead dwindling. Curry played 23 minutes, Butler 25 and Green nearly 18. Fred VanVleet scored 26 points on 8-for-13 shooting with four 3-pointers playing 33 minutes to lead Houston as all five starters reached double figures.

The Rockets jumped to a big lead from the opening tip for a runaway win. Their 131 points were their most ever in a playoff game against Golden State.

Houston had averaged 98 points per game through the first four of the series, then went off in the win that included an early 18-0 run and a 31-point lead in the second half before the Warriors' second unit chipped away.

“Loved our bench group, they came in and they forced Houston to bring their starters back in. They set a tone that we're going to need for Game 6,” Kerr said. “Even though we lost the game, I thought it was crucial that we fought the way we did in the fourth quarter.”

The past two games became testy, with Golden State's reserves getting involved during Game 5 when Pat Spencer got ejected for head-butting Alperen Sengun before Trace Jackson-Davis shoved the Rockets big man.

It was Curry, Green and Dillon Brooks in Game 4, yet Brooks believes Houston's youngsters are learning with each experience on the big NBA stage.

“They’re sticking to the details of the playoffs,” Brooks said. “Every possession matters, every loose ball, rebound, shot we take, it matters. And there’s nothing to get worked up or get tight about. It’s just understanding that you can’t turn the ball over and you need possessions, we need good possessions. And I feel like the young guys are learning how to leave their imprint on the game.”

When/Where to Watch: Game 6, Friday, 9 p.m. EDT (ESPN)

Series: Warriors lead 3-2.

BetMGM Sportsbook: Warriors by 4.5.

What to Know: Foul trouble and free-throw differential have been common themes in this series, with Golden State the culprit in Game 5. The Warriors had 27 fouls and the Rockets converted 32 of 38 free throws — 8 of 8 by Brooks, 6 of 6 by VanVleet, and 8 of 9 for Amen Thompson. VanVleet is 12 for 18 at the line over the past two games while shooting 8 of 13 from the floor in both contests. “We’ve got to stay more attached to him for sure,” Kerr said. “He got a few where we lost our focus, lost our matchup.” The Rockets also played a clean game with just 12 turnovers while Kerr has stressed taking care of the ball so many time this season and the Warriors committed 15 turnovers for 20 Houston points. And Golden State's defense will have to do something different against VanVleet, who along with his fellow starters had to return to the game when the Warriors reserves made a run and finished with a playoff franchise-record 76 bench points. Kerr chose to keep his veteran stars — Butler, Curry and Green — on the bench to end the game and get them ready for Friday.

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Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) moves the ball up court as Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II defends during the first half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) drives past Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody during the first half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) shoots as Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (32) defends during the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson high fives fans after Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stands by the team bench after a timeout in the second half as the Golden State Warriors played the Houston Rockets in Game 5 of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun shoots over Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (32) and guard Moses Moody (4) during the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson has his shot blocked by Golden State Warriors forward Braxton Key (12) during the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr instructs his players in Game 5 of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs against Houston Rockets at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Dillon Brooks (9) goes up to defend against a 3-point shot by Stephen Curry (30) in the first half as the Golden State Warriors played the Houston Rockets in Game 5 of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Stephen Curry (30) walks off the court after the Golden State Warriors lost to the Houston Rockets in Game 5 of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Brandin Podziemksi (2), Jimmy Butler (10) and Stephen Curry (30) react on the bench in the final seconds of the second half as the Golden State Warriors played the Houston Rockets in Game 5 of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

WASHINGTONThe (AP) — The Trump administration launched military strikes Friday in Syria to “eliminate” Islamic State group fighters and weapons sites in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American interpreter almost a week ago.

A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that hit 70 targets in areas across central Syria that had IS infrastructure and weapons. Another U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, said more strikes should be expected.

The attack was conducted using F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters, the officials said. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery also were used, one official said.

“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media.

President Donald Trump had pledged “very serious retaliation” after the shooting in the Syrian desert, for which he blamed IS. The troops were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the terrorist group.

Trump in a social media post said the strikes were targeting IS “strongholds.” He reiterated his support for Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who he said was “fully in support” of the U.S. effort to target the militant group.

Trump also offered an all-caps threat, warning the group against attacking U.S. personnel again.

“All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE U.S.A.,” the president added.

The attack was a major test for the warming ties between the United States and Syria since the ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago. Trump has stressed that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops and said al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack,” which came as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces.

Syria’s foreign ministry in a statement on X following the launch of US strikes said that last week’s attack “underscores the urgent necessity of strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in all its forms” and that Syria is committed “to fighting ISIS and ensuring that it has no safe havens on Syrian territory and will continue to intensify military operations against it wherever it poses a threat.”

IS has not claimed responsibility for the attack on the U.S. service members, but the group has claimed responsibility for two attacks on Syrian security forces since, one of which killed four Syrian soldiers in Idlib province. The group in its statements described al-Sharaa’s government and army as “apostates.” While al-Sharaa once led a group affiliated with al-Qaida, he has had a long-running enmity with IS.

Syrian state television reported that the U.S. strikes hit targets in rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces and in the Jabal al-Amour area near Palmyra. It said they targeted “weapons storage sites and headquarters used by ISIS as launching points for its operations in the region.”

Trump this week met privately with the families of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring U.S. service members killed in action.

The guardsmen killed in Syria last Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the U.S. Army. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, was also killed.

The shooting nearly a week ago near the historic city of Palmyra also wounded three other U.S. troops as well as members of Syria’s security forces, and the gunman was killed. The assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned because of suspicions that he might be affiliated with IS, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba has said.

The man stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials who were having lunch together and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards.

Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut, Lebanon, contributed.

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth salute as carry teams move the transfer cases with the remains of Iowa National Guard soldiers Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa, and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, who were killed in an attack in Syria, during a casualty return, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025 at Dover Air Force Base, Del. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth salutes during a casualty return for Iowa National Guard soldiers Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa, and Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and civilian interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat, who were killed in Syria, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)