Ah, Game 6. The one where the Golden State Warriors had a golden opportunity to wrap things up and eliminate the Houston Rockets on their home floor. What could go wrong, right? Well, as usual, it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. Steve Kerr’s strategy of “feeding the stars” sounded great on paper, but in execution? Not so much. The plan backfired, and the Rockets capitalized on every misstep. The Warriors’ home-court advantage? Vanished. The game itself? A little too close for comfort. Here’s how it all went down

Steve Kerr’s big game plan for Game 6? Simple: FEED THEM. The logic is sound—get the ball to your best players, and let them handle it. But, as it turns out, having a plan and executing it are two very different things. Curry did his usual thing, dropping 29 points, looking like an MVP. But while Stephen Curry was doing his best superhero impersonation, the rest of the team seemed to be playing their own game of “Who’s Going to Show Up Today?”

The real issue, however, was the lack of contribution from the other Warriors stars. Draymond Green, Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield—each of them had chances to step up, but instead, they collectively shot 5-for-17 from the field. Not exactly the type of shooting you’d expect from a team with championship aspirations. It’s like Steve Kerr told them to go out there and make Curry’s life easier, but instead, they all decided to give the Rockets a free pass.

Fred VanVleet, on the other hand, had no such issues. He was candid after the Rockets secured a 115-107 win, saying, “It was a necessity to play defense the way we did.” And that defense? Well, it worked wonders. VanVleet was particularly vocal about the role Curry played in their defensive schemes. “Curry was a big part of giving up the shots we wanted,” he added. That’s a polite way of saying “Thanks for the easy opportunities, Golden State.”

The backfire of feeding Stephen Curry and forgetting the rest

Let’s be honest: the Warriors’ Game 6 strategy was essentially “Give Curry the ball and hope for the best.” Stephen Curry did his part, scoring 29 points, but even the greatest shooters can’t carry a team through cold shooting stretches. Golden State missed 13 consecutive shots at one point, and in the playoffs, those kinds of droughts aren’t just damaging—they’re devastating.

The Rockets had the perfect counter to Golden State’s one-man offense. They trapped Curry, forced him into tough shots, and neutralized his scoring. As Curry pulled Golden State back within striking distance late in the third, the rest of the team was MIA. While Curry caught fire, his teammates didn’t follow suit. When the Warriors needed support, no one stepped up.

Meanwhile, the Rockets played true team basketball. Fred VanVleet was his usual efficient self, posting 29 points and 8 assists, while Alperen Şengün dominated in the paint with 21 points and 14 rebounds. It wasn’t just one player carrying the load—it was a collective effort. The Rockets showed that balanced team play can outshine relying on a single star. Curry is a two-time MVP and Finals champ, but even he needs help. And the Warriors, unfortunately, didn’t provide it.

Draymond Green, who scored just 8 points on 37.5% from the field, wasn’t able to offer much support. The Warriors’ plan to rely on Curry’s brilliance backfired when they failed to get contributions from the rest of the roster.

At the end of the day, the Warriors can’t lean solely on Curry. While he can still put up big numbers, the team needs to show up as a whole. The Rockets proved that depth and team execution matter just as much as individual star power.

Feeding Curry is great—unless you forget to feed the rest of the team. And that’s exactly what happened in this loss.