Are the NBA referees allowing too many fouls to remain uncalled in the ongoing series between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets? Former Warriors star DeMarcus Cousins thinks so and made his stance on the subject clear.
After finishing the season as the seventh seed in the Western Conference, the Warriors were eager to take on the Rockets, who finished the season as the second seed in the West. While the Rockets may have had the better record and home-court advantage, that did not stop Golden State from going to Houston and winning Game 1 of this series.
Warriors fans would have liked to see their team win both games in Houston. However, Golden State ended up losing Game 2. After the game concluded, Cousins went on air and weighed in on the physicality he had witnessed in this series.
Why Are the Warriors Not Getting Foul Calls vs. the Rockets?
An argument could be made that foul calls or a lack of them play the most significant role in deciding the outcome of a game or series. After all, players tend to freeze up and complain instead of running back on defense if they expected a foul call that never came. Similarly, unnecessary foul calls also frustrate players and fans.
As the series between the Warriors and Rockets began, many thought the Rockets’ inexperience would lead to them fouling the Warriors more. However, the officiating did not give the Warriors several obvious calls. Cousins shared a similar perspective when discussing the physicality in Game 2.
“It is getting to a point where I think the refs are letting too much go. Yeah, and obviously as a fan, as a physical player myself, I enjoy this type of basketball. I think this is the foundation of basketball.
“I think this has always been a part of it. I think in the past 10-15, possibly 20 years, we’ve kinda shied away from the physicality of basketball, but with all that being said, there was some plays within the game that I thought the refs let go a little too much.”
Cousins had a specific example in mind about missed foul calls, “There was one specific play where Payton tried to drive down the lane and he going for a dunk and he just completely got clipped. I think Steve called a timeout immediately afterward, so it was plays like that which stood out to me. Like you have to make those calls. Some things you just can’t let go…”
“I think the refs are letting too much go… I enjoy the physicality of it… but there is some plays that got missed.”
DeMarcus Cousins on the Rockets’ physicality in Game 2 vs. the Warriors 🗣
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— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 24, 2025
The former Warriors star concluded, “But as far as this series, I think it’s a great series. Both teams are competing very hard. I enjoy the physicality of it…I don’t see anything wrong with it, but there is some plays that got missed.”
In both games so far in this series, the foul calls have appeared to favor the Rockets. Though GSW won the first game, they racked up 18 foul calls compared to the Rockets’ 15. However, the Warriors managed to win that game despite being given fewer foul calls.
They were unable to do the same in Game 2. An argument could be made that the Rockets were fouling the Warriors much more. However, once again, GSW led with 18 foul calls, as the Rockets finished Game 2 with 17 foul calls.
While there is no undisputed explanation for why the Warriors are not being given favorable calls, the most likely theory revolves around the fact that they are undersized compared to the Rockets. Thus, someone like Draymond Green is more likely to be called for a foul when guarding a center like Alperen Şengün, not vice versa.
In any case, the Warriors will have to find a way to get favorable foul calls for the next two games of this series. That will undoubtedly help them win and advance to the Conference Semi-Finals.