Walking through the close quarters visitors locker room at Toyota Center, Steph Curry volunteers, as much to himself as anyone else: “Long ways to go.” If only overreacting Houston Rockets fans and the sports talking heads of the world took the same approach.

For Curry’s remark underscores a truth. For all the doom and gloom over the Rockets’ Game One loss to their all-too-familiar nemesis, this first round playoff series is just getting started. The Rockets played one of their worst offensive games of the season, fell down by 23 points to an ultra-experienced Golden State Warriors group and still forced Curry to hit some crazy shots to finally tuck them in for the night in the fourth quarter.

The Rockets’ first playoff game isn’t a disaster as much as it’s a what could be start. This isn’t the NCAA Tournament where one loss sends the toughest of teams crying into the offseason. It’s not even Major League Baseball’s best of three Wildcard series where losing the first game usually spells doom. In the NBA, even in the first round is a marathon, Sometimes even especially the first round with the league’s scheduling.

Two days between Game One and Game Two (Wednesday night, around 8:40 pm tip). Two days between Game Two and Game 3. If this series goes the full seven games (still a distinct possibility), two full weeks will have passed. Some people binge three complete Netflix series in that amount of time.

This thing is just getting started.

One encouraging sign? The Rockets crowd is certainly ready in the franchise’s first playoff game in five seasons. Toyota Center is packed, loud and energized for Game One. Houston still shows for big events, still shows out in numbers and star power. Cal and Hannah McNair are there for the Rockets’ playoff return. So are C.J. Stroud, Joe Mixon and Tank Dell, talking with Rockets owner and U.S. Ambassador to be Tilman Fertitta. Calvin Murphy wears his best light pink suit.

“Nah, not at all,” guard Fred VanVleet says when asked if he’s seen a crowd like this at Toyota Center since he’s joined the Rockets. “That was incredible. It’s great to have playoff basketball here. . . Been looking for ’em. Been looking for ’em since I got here. They showed up (in Game One).

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the win. But what an incredible atmosphere.”

Just having playoff basketball back in Houston is a win. Especially knowing it figures to be a regular thing for the foreseeable future.

Sure, Steph Curry makes star power seem so easy. He wears it effortlessly, hitting a few no-way threes (even by his supreme Curry standards) to turn the Rockets back in Game One. Expecting Jalen Green and Amen Thompson to handle everything as smoothly in their first playoff game ever is unrealistic.

But even Steph Curry wasn’t always Steph Curry. He missed 13 of 20 shots, committed five turnovers in his first career playoff game. Back when everyone wondered if his ankles would ever hold up. Now he’s the surest thing in basketball.

“That was incredible. It’s great to have playoff basketball here. . . Been looking for ’em. Been looking for ’em since I got here. They showed up (in Game One).” — Fred VanVleet on his first Toyota Center playoff crowd

No one’s expecting Thompson or Green to ever be a Steph Curry level player, one of the all-time greats, a sport changer. But they certainly deserve more time than one playoff game. Amen and Jalen both have nice drives to the rim, a flash where they show what they can do in Game One. Thompson forces Curry into several of those highlight threes when he starts guarding him one-on-one in the fourth quarter.

Yes. the Rockets’ super big lineup with double centers Alperen Şengün and Steven Adams and 6-foot-10 forward Jabari Smith Jr. caused the Warriors the most trouble in Game One. But Rockets coach Ime Udoka knows he’s going to need Amen Thompson and Jalen Green to be at their best to win four games in this series.

“Not going to over react to one game,” Udoka says. Veteran guard Aaron Holiday might be a nice change of pace addition to the rotation for this series, starting in Game Two. But he’s not going to swing things Houston’s way. Amen Thompson and Jalen Green can.