The Houston Rockets brought a Brink’s truck to lure Fred VanVleet away from the Toronto Raptors in 2023 and it worked.
Houston at the time was a rebuilding team looking to take a leap. By bringing in VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, the Rockets positioned themselves to be viewed as a more serious team.
After finishing last season 41-41, Houston turned a corner and became the second seed in the Western Conference with a 52-30 record.
That led to them facing an experienced Golden State Warriors team in the first round. The Rockets’ lack of playoff experience led to them falling down 3-1 with an early postseason exit looking likely.
However, VanVleet’s recent play has led them to force a Game 7 in Houston:
Fred VanVleet has been a big reason for the Rockets success here. He’s been on a tear. pic.twitter.com/mbB1QOe5Au
— Luca Rosano (@lucarosano3) May 3, 2025
Frankly, VanVleet’s first three games of this series was awful as he shot extremely poor from the field. Notably in Game 1, the former Raptor shot 4-for-19 from the field and 2-for-13 from three-point range.
Followed by shooting 2-for-8 from the field and 1-for-7 from distance in Game 2. Then 5-for-14 from the field and 3-for-9 from three in Game 3.
With those poor shooting numbers and Jalen Green struggling in his first postseason, Houston needed one of them to step up next to Alperen Sengun, who has been impressive against Golden State.
But, that experience as a champion against these Warriors in 2019 is coming in handy for VanVleet right now. Now having a Game 7 in front of Rockets fans, young teams tend to play better at home.
Houston’s offense has struggled, but once VanVleet finds a rhythm offensively, things open up and now the Rockets have a chance to comeback down 3-1.
Fred VanVleet shined in Game 5 loss
The Rockets simply needed more out of their backcourt, if they wanted any chance of getting out of the first round.
When the series swung to San Francisco, Game 5 was pivotal with Houston trying to avoid being down 3-1. Fred VanVleet responded with 25 points and six assists on 8-for-13 shooting from the field.
Unfortunately, the Rockets lost, but now they find themselves in a Game 7 with a chance to pull off a remarkable 3-1 comeback.
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