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Warriors head coach Steve Kerr thought he found a winning formula partway through the fourth quarter of Golden State's Game 6 clash with the Rockets.
The Warriors were felled by spotty shooting in the final frame, seeing a two-point deficit at the start of the quarter swell to double-digits as Houston found its rhythm. The Rockets received a number of star showings throughout its fourth-quarter outburst — Fred VanVleet powered the Rockets' three-point shooting, while Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson flashed considerable chops inside the lane.
Then, there was wily veteran Steven Adams. The Kiwi had quietly put together quite a series coming off the bench, showcasing his lumberjack-like strength and uncanny knack for offensive rebounding in spot minutes.
But on Friday night, Adams was talismanic, proving a successful deterrent to Golden State's attack on one end and punishing the Warriors' undersized unit on the other.
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So, Kerr, hoping to slow the game down and capitalize on Adams' inconsistent free-throw shooting, once again sent the 31-year-old to the charity stripe early and often.
Unlike previous games this series, his tactical wrinkle didn't work, as Houston stuck with Adams and was rewarded when he sank more free throws than he missed. With a game-high +15, Adams' impact was undeniably scrawled across the scoreboard in the Rockets' 115-107 win.
Here's a look back at Adams' stellar showing, as well as the polarizing coaching method from Kerr that helped facilitate it.
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Steven Adams stats vs. Warriors
- Minutes: 31
- Points: 17
- Rebounds: 5 (3 offensive rebounds)
- Assists: 0
- Steals: 1
- Blocks: 3
- Turnovers: 0
- Fouls: 1
- FG: 4-4 (100%)
- 3P: 0-0 (0%)
- FT: 9-16 (56.25%)
Adams tallied more minutes on Friday night (31) than he had in any playoff game in the past five years. His 17-point outburst represents the joint-third most-prolific scoring display of his playoff career, and his 16 free throws attempted and nine free throws made are new career highs in postseason play.
Steven Adams flushes it home 💪 pic.twitter.com/sNuSmv0b1p
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 3, 2025Adams' production extended beyond the confines of the stat sheet, but his final line read quite well. He proved a harrowing presence on the offensive glass and even collected a trio of blocks and one steal for good measure.
Steven Adams with a stunt and recover he's been great on the backline in this one. pic.twitter.com/D3YQxvMyfR
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) May 3, 2025He also embraced Jimmy Butler with the most intimate of hugs. Life was good for the Pitts product.
Steven Adams funny af 😭 pic.twitter.com/aSwXdsVSmM
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) May 3, 2025Adams strode up to the free throw line more times than most on Friday night. A career 53.3-percent shooter from the charity stripe, it's not a place he's had too much success at in the past.
And although he wasn't all that good from the nail, he did improve on those averages. His 9-of-16 day was far more than Ime Udoka's squad could ask for, and two of those clanks ended up in a teammate's hands on the subsequent rebound.
Adams typically looks like a man amongst boys when he takes the floor, but on Friday night, he played like it, too, offering viewers a window into his unheralded — but highly-effective — game. It's little surprise why he's such a hit among fans and teammates alike.
"He's like a big caveman in this era of small basketball," VanVleet said postgame. "An old big just roughing everybody up. He's impacting us on another level, historical level, honestly. Made his free throws tonight. We're going to play him until he dies out there. We gotta get him some rest, get big fella back, get him hydrated, give him a big steak, and let him get some sleep. We gotta do it again."
Fred VanVleet on Steven Adams:
"He's like a big caveman in this era of small basketball. An old big just roughing everybody up. We're gonna play him until he dies out there."pic.twitter.com/KjhBL7YlAC
Just don't tell Adams that.
"Me? What difference do I make?" Adams told reporters after the contest. "I'm not sure, I just follow the game plan, bro."
Steven Adams free throw percentage
Adams has never been the most efficient free throw shooter. He's sank just 53.3 percent of his FT attempts over the course of his career, the 68th-worst rate of any player with at least 100 free throw attempts, according to Stathead. He is more effective at the line than Shaquille O'Neal, for what it's worth.
Adams only eclipsed 60 percent free-throw shooting one time in his career, back in 2013-14. He's posted free-throw figures below the 50-percent plateau on three separate occasions, including a putrid 36.4 percent success rate in 2022-23 with the Grizzlies.
With a 53.2-percent mark in postseason play, Adams' playoff FT shooting is almost identical to his regular season figures. You can't say he's not consistent.
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