The Houston Rockets, as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, have set their sights on a first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, the No. 7 seed, following the conclusion of the play-in tournament. Despite Golden State's 3-2 advantage in their regular-season series, the Rockets come into the playoffs with a strong defense, having held the Warriors to an anemic offensive rating of 104.2 in their matchups.

In a media session, veteran forward Dillon Brooks emphasized the Rockets' physicality and cohesion as key factors in their playoff readiness, stating, 'We’re the more physical team.' The Rockets, anticipating a competitive series, will host the first two games at Toyota Center before heading to Golden State. The winner of this series will face either the Los Angeles Lakers or the Minnesota Timberwolves in the next round.