Good old Game 7. Exactly seven years after the infamous collapse, the basketball gods have cooked up another classic: the battle-tested Warriors staring down a hungry young squad desperate to knock the old guard off the mountain top. For Houston, it’s about exorcising the ghosts of 2018—when they missed 27 straight threes in Game 7 and let a Finals trip slip away. For Golden State, it’s about proving there’s still magic left in this dynasty. Now, it’s on Stephen Curry and Co. to answer the call—one more time.

They will be on the road with a hostile Rockets crowd demeaning them. Momentum, too, has been snatched away from them. All they can rely on is experience. Curry has played in five Game 7’s in his career. With a 3-2 record, he understands that there’s a threshold for relying on game plans in do-or-die situations. What prevails is understanding the implications. Although a family man, right now, Curry doesn’t want a vacation.

“It’s kind of baked into the nature of a game seven. If you don’t show up with that appropriate mentality, then you got a long vacation ahead of you. So, you know, you don’t want to be the team that’s packing up. We’re packing for a week getting on this plane to uh you know go to Texas and hopefully go to Minnesota right after,” he said about a Game 7 against the Rockets.

The last two games have been a dark patch for the Warriors. Tonight, their smiles at the end of the third quarter turned to a stunned silence at the end of the game. However, in spite of the upsetting results, he assures the Warriors are still full of life. “I know we’re all excited about the fact that we still have life left even though these last two games haven’t gone our way,” said Stephen Curry.

Having veteran players such as Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, the Warriors are the more seasoned side by far. But confidence can’t be mistaken for readiness. The Rockets have proven that their athleticism and relentless mindset weigh heavily on their opponents. Steven Adams’ offensive rebounding and Fred VanVleet’s rejuvenation have all derailed the Bay.

So come Game 7, there won’t just be surreal pressure on Stephen Curry and his teammates to deliver. Steve Kerr will have to completely alter his formations to counter the successful developments within Houston. There is barely any time to adjust to these changes. But the line is thin. Go big or go home.

Can the Warriors break past the Houston wall?

Ime Udoka has never shied away from pulling out defensive wild cards — and Game 6 was a masterclass in disruption. With Stephen Curry heating up in the first half, the Rockets head coach deployed a rare zone box-and-one, placing Amen Thompson in full denial coverage on Curry while the rest of the team sat in a disciplined zone behind him.

The effect? Golden State’s off-ball motion died. The Warriors’ signature read-and-react rhythm stalled, ball movement froze, and Curry barely touched the rock. It was less about blitzing him with doubles and more about starving the engine of touches altogether.

Steve Kerr has acknowledged just how unconventional Houston’s scheme has been, saying, “It’s a completely different NBA game than what we’re used to, and we’ve got to be ready for that.”

Now, the pressure’s on Kerr to back that statement up. Game 7 will demand more than just counters — it will require proactive offensive engineering. Whether it’s screening Amen off the ball with size, flipping the action to force switches, or initiating through Butler to draw the defense out of shape, Golden State must dictate the terms, not just respond to them.

Because if the Rockets can turn Curry into a decoy again, Udoka’s squad might just complete the upset — and the Warriors’ dynastic core could face a long offseason of hard questions.

The Rockets have found one winning formula over the last two games. It’s been their defense. Not only do they have astounding athletes such as Amen Thompson who can match Curry’s endurance, but Ime Udoka’s tactics have troubled the Bay. A pivotal change has been bringing in Steven Adams.

For the entire fourth quarter, Udoka decided to bench Dillon Brooks, one of the Rockets’ elite defenders, to have Adams on the floor. As a result, the Warriors’ core rotation only scored 3 of the eight baskets in the fourth quarter. Stephen Curry and Butler combined for just eight as VanVleet shot Houston to a Game 7.

And after the game, the Baby Face Assassin admitted that the Rockets’ defensive schemes posed a severe challenge.

“It might be a little bit of surprise that they played that much zone, but um I think we could probably look at a little bit more film and see where those shots are, see where those driving lanes are. Obviously when they when you drive, they have Steven Adams in the in the middle of the paint waiting on you. So whether that’s a drive to a kick to a swing that’s going to, you know, get you a step in three, I think we can be a little bit more patient on certain possessions,” Curry added.

Studying their latest strategies on the defensive end could help in making the Warriors’ offense more fluent as compared to the last two games. However, in a Game 7, Stephen Curry knows that there’s just one thing that matters. “You have to make shots at the end of the day… So for us don’t panic. just, you know, make the necessary adjustments and understand how they’re defending us and we should we should be all right,” said the two-time MVP.

The Rockets’ shot-making also played a pivotal role in their victory. Whether it was the veteran Fred VanVleet nailing threes or Adams fighting his demons at the free-throw line, the scoreboard kept ticking. That’s what the Warriors are yet to find out over these last two games.

If the starters can manage to pile on timely buckets and keep the offense activated, the Warriors do have a chance. But in a matter of two days, how much can they study and adjust? The newly devised plans are Houston’s biggest advantage. But to match it, the Warriors have solid acumen players who can get hot with just a few shots.

Who do you have taking Game 7? Let us know your views in the comments below.