Rockets 103 vs 106 Warriors summary, stats, scores and highlights | NBA Playoffs Game 4
The Warrior are heading to Houston up 3-1, and need just one win to move on to the next round of the playoffs. Jimmy knew how big this game was and there wasn't a chance that he was going to miss it. He showed up and all it took was a little lighting of a fire by Dillon Brooks. He's at home. He's enjoying basketball and he's looking like Playoff Jimmy. That's great news for Golden State and terrible news for the Rockets and the rest of the NBA.
After Jimmy Butler got fouled by Brooks on a three pointer to give the Warriors a three point lead, Sengun cut the lead to one with a bucket on the other end. He had a chance to take the lead and went one on one against Draymond, but missed the bucket and Jimmy ripped down the rebound.
VanVleet had 8 threes on the game and was sensational all night, but he needed a 9th to push the game into OT.
He may have only scored 17 points, but you can always count on Steph to hit a big three or wo late in the game. He did that with the Warriors down four and cut the lead to one with the shot clock winding out.
Podziemski was money through all four quarters. The Warriors don't win this game without him and Buddy Hield. PB had 26 points, and Hield had 15 and they needed each and everyone of those 41 points to beat the Rockets.
Playoff Jimmy showed up big time in the 2nd half. After missing last game with a pelvic contusion, Jimmy came back and took a little while to get going, but once he found his groove late in the game.
Sengun and VanVleet kept the Rockets in the game down the stretch. VanVleet had 8 threes and ended the night with 25 points and Sengun had 31 and 10 and they took the Warriors to the final bell.
The Warriors went on an 18-1 run to start the second half and took a double digit lead, but the Rockets would come roaring back.
Green got involved with Eason a little later in the quarter and risked getting his 2nd tech. He was hit with a flagrant, but was able to stay in the game. He would miss a lot of the second half after picking up an early 5th foul in the 3rd quarter.
Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks were hit for techs on this play as Thompson hit the ground. This would be the theme of the third quarter as we had multiple stoppages, challenges, techs and flagrant fouls.
The Rockets went on a 7-0 run to end the half as Houston took control at the end of the second quarter. This game would go back and forth for the final two quarters but it would get a little choppy.
Steph was stifled for most of the game. The tough physical defense had him a little off for his standards, but he would end the game with 17 points.
Fred VanVleet had had a couple of rough games from the field to start this series, but he had his break out performance of the series. He came out hot and stayed hot all night.
The Warriors went up 16-2 thanks to Podziemski and Draymond, but the Rockets were ready for a scrap on Monday night. They ended the first quarter on a 22-12 run, and pulled back into the game, but Podziesmki carried the Warriors all night long.
The Golden State Warriors are a win away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs after their narrow victory over the Houston Rockets. Jimmy Butler came back from injury in Game 3 to lead his team to the win in Game 4 with 27 points, and some clutch plays late in the 106-103 win.
It wasn't Butler or Curry getting the Warriors off to a quick start on the offensive end. It was Draymond Green who got things going out of the gate with a couple threes to being Game 4.
IT'S ALL OVER!!!
The Warriors hang on in a thriller to take a 3-1 lead.
VanVleet took a fade away three from the wing as the shot clock wound down and came up short of the iron!
WARRIORS WIN!!!
Butler hits both FTs and he is 12/12 from the FT line tonight!
Sengun missed a contested hook shot in the lane, and Butler came screaming in for the rebound!!! He's going to the line with 4 seconds to go!!
The Rockets will have it with a chance to take the lead. Will they go for the final shot, or look for a quick one?
Curry missed a runner from outside the lane, and the Rockets take a timeout with 13.1 to go in the 4th quarter!
Sengun backing down Payton and he spins and lays it up and in from the block.
Timeout Warriors with 40.1 to go.
The call stands and Butler goes to the line hits all three FTs.
Brooks fouled Butler on the three ball and the Rockets are going to challenge with 58.1 to go in the 4th quarter!!
VanVleet pulls the trigger and he hits his 8th three of the night to tied the game up!!!
1:30 to go in the 4th.
Podziemski with a block on one end and Butler takes it down the lane and lays it up in traffic on the other end.
Timeout Rockets with 3:18 to go in the 4th quarter!!!
Hield steps back from the wing and drills the three to give the Warriors the lead with 3:30 to go!
Butler drives baseline and Green found him for the lay up off the glass.
VanVleet with another three ball, this one from the wing and he's got 7 three balls tonight!!
GS is starting to implement the hack an Adams, and that's going to force HOU to take the big man out.
Hield looks down low for Butler for the lay up down low .
Sengun misses the lay up but Adams was there for the tip in.
Curry with a three ball from the corner to beat the buzzer!!!
Sengun with the offensive rebound and the put back off the miss from Thompson.
Timeout Warriors with 6:46 to go in the 4th quarter.
Podziemski with the leaner from outside the lane, and he gets the bucket and the foul! FT is no good after the foul on Green.
Thompson is starting to take this game over, he hits a mid range runner of the glass.
Green is back into the game with 5 fouls for Golden State.
Sengun to the line after the foul on Post and he hits both FTs.
Payton follows the Butler miss and tips it up and in.
Thompson with a cross over at the top of the key and he hits another impossible lay up over traffic.
Sengun spins to the cup and scoops it up and in.
Thompson into traffic and he gets the double clutch lay up to drop.
Butler got dared to shoot the three by Adams and he hits it from the wing!
Sengun off the dribble and he takes Post to the bucket for the lay up.
Thompson with a nice move in the lane and he gets the push shot to fall.
Podziemski with the step back three ball from the wing and he's been on fire tonight! He's got 24 on the night.
WE ARE HEADING TO THE FOURTH QUARTER FROM SAN FRANCISCO!!!
Butler sent to the line after the foul on Eason and he hits both FTs.
Smith to the line after the foul on Payton and he hits one of two FTs.
Sengun to the line after the foul on Butler and he hits both FTs.
Sengun into traffic and he double clutches off the reverse.
Butler pump fakes, takes a dribble and gets the bucket to fall and the foul! FT is good after the foul on Adams.
Sengun to the line after the foul on Curry but he misses both FTs.
VanVleet to the line after the Warriors gets called for their second delay of game violation. He its the technical FT.
Payton II finds Podziemski who strokes another three ball, his 5th and he's got 21 on the night!
Sengun takes Jackson-Davis to the bucket and lays it up and in from underneath the iron.
Adams to the line after another quick foul on Jackson-Davis and he hits one of two FTs.
Sengun to the line after the foul on Jackson-Davis and he hits one of two FTs.
Podziemski spins from outside the lane and banks home a mid range jumper.
Sengun gets the floater to fall in the paint.
VanVleet sticks another three ball, his sixth of the night!!!
Post to the line after trying to dunk on Adams, and he hits one of two FTs.
Offensive rebound from Podziemski and that leads to a Hield three ball from the wing! He's got 10 in the quarter.
VanVleet steps into a three ball from the top of the key and he drills it!!!
Timeout Warriors with 6:00 to go in the 3rd quarter!
Smith dumps it down for Adams and the big man reverses it up and in off the glass.
Sengun takes a power dribble in the paint and slams it home.
Hield was open from the wing and Curry found him from three point range!
Timeout Houston after an 18-1 run to start the 3rd quarter!!
Curry down the right side of the lane and he lays it up and in off the glass.
Thompson into traffic and he gets fouled by Green! That's Green's 5th foul, and Thompson hits one of two FTs at the line.
Butler kickout to Podziemski at the top of the key and he drills it from downtown!
Butler driving and lays it off for Hield who slashed through the lane and laid it up and in.
Butler to the line after the foul on Brooks, and he hits both FTs.
Curry pulls up and hits the elbow jumper and the Rockets need a timeout after a 6-0 run to start the half.
Butler into the lane and he gets the short jumper to fall.
Hield down the lane and he lays it up and in to start the 3rd.
WE ARE BACK IN SAN FRAN FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!!
This was the second mix up that could have led to a second tech, but Green got a flagrant instead. He's still on the floor but barely.
This was one of the scuffles that Draymond got a tech for after Brooks tried to swipe the ball from Curry.
The game was stopped a handful of times due to techs, and flagrents and challenges. That allowed the Rockets to play their game and more importantly take the Warriors out of theirs. Houston ended the half on a 7-0 run and lead 57-50 after two quarters.
Steph has 10 points, but the Rockets defense is going after him and he's been frustrated. He's got 3 TOs and just 1 assist at the halftime break.
Everyone got into the mix for Houston in that first half. Green has 8 points which is tied with Thompson for least of the Rockets starting five.
VanVleet has the hot hand tonight from downtown. He's struggled lately, but he looks locked in in Game 4. He's got 12 points, all from downtown.
Houston went on a 22-12 run to end the 1st quarter thanks to their fantastic defense. Steph has been frustrated, Green is hot and Jimmy has been silent so far.
Podziemski leads the Warriors with 13 points after two quarters, but it was the Rockets making moves to end the 1st quarter and into the 2nd.
This game has been physical since the start, and no one like a physical game more than Draymond. He started on the right track but since has had a couple of plays that could have got him kicked out of the game.
The Warriors started off the game hot, playing their pace and making the Rockets run out of the gate. Draymond Green hit a couple of threes to get GS going and they were hot from downtown in the opening few minutes.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST HALF AND IT'S THE ROCKETS HEADING INTO THE BREAK WITH THEIR BIGGEST LEAD OF THE NIGHT!
Curry stripped by VanVleet and he lays it off for Sengun for the jam!
Brooks picked off the Curry pass and took it to the rack but Butler was there with a hard foul. No challenge to come, and Brooks misses both FTs.
Sengun picks off the pass from Podziemski and lays it up and in.
VanVleet with a three ball from the wing and he has three triples tonight!
Podziemski spots up from the Chase Center logo and drills it from deep!
After review Curry is called for a push on Eason, so that will send Eason to the line where he makes both FTs.
Butler to the line after Eason dragged him to the ground, but Houston is going to challenge the play with 2:20 to go.
This has been a choppy 2nd quarter full of challenges, techs, flagrants and a whole lot of stoppages.
Green was called for a flagrant foul for his leg whipping around and hitting the head of Eason, and Eason got T'd up for the aftermath.
Curry makes the technical FT, then Eason hits one of two flagrant FTs and the Rockets get the ball back.
Hopefully you are still following along. Just know it's getting chippy in the Bay.
Green just got tied up with Eason after getting stripped of the ball, and they are going to go have a look at that play to see if there is anything more to the tussle. Remember Draymond just got a tech earlier in the quarter.
Green on the runner in the lane and that goes as the shot clock was running out.
Curry in the corner off the step back and he drills the three ball! His first of the night!
Curry down the left side of the lane and he scoops and scores high off the glass.
Green sends Sengun to the line where he makes both FTs.
VanVleet with a TD pass to Green on the other end and he lays it up and in on the break.
Sengun backing down Green and gets the little push shot to fall in the lane.
Extra pass from Post to Moodey and he sinks the three ball from the corner!
Butler looks down low to Post who turns and lays it up off the glass from down low.
VanVleet of the screen and he drills the three ball form the wing!
Curry and Draymond both get techs, and Brooks got a tech for Houston.
Jalen Green misses the FT after the extra tech on GS.
Thompson got crunched on a screen and that led to a little scuffle between Green and Brooks after Brooks tried to swipe the ball from Curry who was on the ground following the collision with Thompson.
Brooks puts it on the deck and hits the leaner in the lane
Post puts the Warriors back in the lead with a triple try from the top of the key!
Curry gets the foul call after review and he hits both FTs.
Curry got blocked by Brooks on his lay up attempt and the Warriors are going to challenge the call with 8:23 to go in the 2nd quarter.
Brook back at the line and he hits the second of two FTs.
Brooks to the line after the foul on Hield and he hits one FT before the Warriors take a timeout with 9:19 to go in the 2nd quarter.
VanVleet with a three ball to give the Rockets their first lead since it was 2-0!!
Extra pass from Smith to Brooks in the corner and he drills the three ball!
Post opens the quarter with a three ball from the wing off the kick out from Butler.
THE FIRST QUARTER IS OVER FROM SAN FRANCISCO.
GS got out to a hot start thanks to the three balls from Green and Podziemski, but Thompson and the Rockets came battling back with a 22-12 run to end the quarter.
Green with the steal and he looks for Thompson for the transition slam.
VanVleet was left alone and he hit a deep three ball for his first of the night. He's been struggling from downtown in this series, let's see if that gets him going.
Podziemski with a drive down the baseline and he hits the reverse off the glass.
Smith off the dribble and he pulls up from the elbow for the mid range jumper.
Butler to the line after the foul on Sengun and he hits both FTs.
Smith splashes an open three ball from the wing off the dish from Thompson!
Butler pulls up from the mid range and gets on the board for the first time tonight.
Thompson to the line after the foul on Looney and he hits one of two FTs.
Curry missed the three ball but Post was there for the board and the put back.
Green drops a pull up three ball from the wing and the Rockets are 5/7 after starting 1/6.
Timeout Warriors with under 4:00 to go in the 1st quarter.
Post to the line after the foul on Green and he hits both FTs.
Green to the line after the foul on Payton II and he hits one of two FTs.
Curry to the bucket off the offensive board and dish from Podziemski at the top of the key. He split the D and laid it up and in off the glass.
Thompson starting to heat up with a floater in the lane and the Rockets are on a 7-0 run.
Thompson gets the rebound on one end and goes coast the coast for the lay up and the foul! FT is good after the foul on Hield.
Brooks with the up and under on Hield and he gets the lay up to go off the glass.
Podziemski drills another three ball this time from the top of he key off the dish from Curry!
Brooks hitting the boards hard and he gets the put back in the lane.
Green with another turnover and Hield races to the bucket for the scoop and the score! What a start from the Warriors who have come out the hungrier of the two teams.
Timeout Rockets with 8:22 to go in the 1st quarter.
Podziesmki fouled on the break by Green and he goes to the line and hits both FTs.
Green returns the favor to Podziemski in the corner and Podziemski drills it right in front of the Rockets bench!!
Podziemski finds Green in the corner again, and again Green drills the three ball and starts yapping to the Rockets bench.
Green in the corner off the feed from Podziemski and he drills the three ball!
Sengun in the paint and he hits the fader over Green to get us going.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM SAN FRANCISCO!!
GS starting five
Coach Kerr is making a little change to his starting five, with Buddy Hield getting the start and Jimmy back in the line up. It's Butler, Heild, Podziemski, Green and Curry.
He's baaack
We figured he would play tonight, but here is your conformation. Jimmy Buckets, Playoff Jimmy, Jimmy Butler is back. It's a huge game for Golden State, and they have one of their top weapons available tonight.
Houston starting five
It's about as close to a must win without being an elimination game as it gets. The Rockets have to come out hot from the start, and it's going to be up to VanVleet, Thompson, Green, Brooks and Sengun to set the tone from Chase Center.
Injury report: Warriors
The Warriors have just one name on the injury report tonight, and that of course is Jimmy Butler. He is expected to play tonight according to the Warriors, which would give them a clean injury list in the biggest home game of the year. This is a Rockets team that has their backs against the wall and they are going to come out swinging to stay alive. That means the Warriors are going to need all hands on deck to take a 3-1 lead back to Houston.
Injury report: Rockets
The Rockets come into tonight with all of their big stars available for this massive Game 4 from the Bay. They only thing they may be missing tonight is a little bit of depth on their bench. Jae’Sean Tae is out for tonight’s game but Jock Landale has been upgraded to probable. Landale hasn’t played since the 13th of April, before the playoffs started. He is going to be back tonight in all likelyhood and that will give the Rockets big guys a little more help in the paint against an undersized Warriors team.
GS at Chase Center this year
The Warriors weren’t a great home team this year, but you have to take their 24-17 record with a grain of salt. They didn’t have Jimmy Butler for a lot of those games. With Jimmy, they were 9-4 at home, and that included a steak of three straight home games they lost to end the regular season. The Bay Area has grown familiar to nights like these, and games like these and it won’t just be the players on the court showing up looking to make some noise in Game 4.
Another award for Curry
As if this dude wasn’t already enough of a star, Steph Curry has been named the NBA’s 2024/25 Twyman-Strokes Teammate of the Year for his "selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team," He and Jimmy Butler have gelled flawlessly since the trade back in February, but even before that Curry was demonstrating a selflessness that brought the team together and geared them up for being in this moment. One story from earlier this year came from Quinton Post who was waiting for an Uber after getting into San Fran at 2:30 in the morning. Steph told him to hop in his car and gave him a ride to Post’s house.
3-1 comebacks
The Houston Rockets are away from home, knowing they need a win tonight from San Fran. If not the will have their backs against the ropes, down 3-1 and there aren’t many teams that have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the playoff series. It’s only happened 13 times in NBA history, and the last time it happened was in the bubble back in 2020. Our William Allen has more.
Kuminga’s role
There was a point in time where Jonathon Kuminga was heir apparent to Stephen Curry in Golden State. He was on the verge of breaking through from role player to Curry’s number two, but his numbers have leveled off this year, and since the arrival of Jimmy Butler he has become a bit of an afterthought for Steve Kerr. He didn’t play in the Play-In or in Game 1 against the Rockets. Since Jimmy went down, he has stepped to the spotlight. He scored 11 in Game 2 coming off the bench after Jimmy went down, and scored just 7 in the Game 3 win. You have to assume that he is going to play a role at one time or another, and tonight might be his night.
Butler back for Game 4?
Will he or won’t he? That’s the big question coming into the game. Jimmy Butler took a hard fall in Game 2 from Houston and was forced to miss the rest of the game, and Game 3 in San Fran. He was diagnosed with a pelvic contusion, and there is really no timeline set for Jimmy to return. He came into the night listed as questionable, and will likely warm up before seeing just how game ready he is. Luckily for the Warriors, they have proven that they can win without Jimmy, but obviously having him available tonight would be much more ideal.
Star watch: Rockets
The Rockets have a well balanced team that they have been building for a long time. It’s a complete team that complements themselves really well, but last game we saw the one thing this team is missing. They are missing a superstar who demands the ball when the game is on the line. Jalen Green is the closest thing they have to that, and he has shown flashes of it from time to time, but even he has admitted he has to be more consistent. He had 38 in the Game 2 win, but then went 4/11 from the field and scored just 9 points in Game 3. If the Rockets are going to have any chance tonight, they are going to need their top scorer, who averaged 21 ppg in the regular season, to have a big game from the Bay tonight.
Star watch: Warriors
Steph Curry continues to dazzle, game after game. It’s unfair to expect these kinds of performances on a night in and night out basis, but Steph Curry has set the bar so high for himself that we can’t help but expect brilliance from him each and every time he steps on the court. Since the regular season ended, Curry has put up 30+ points in three of four games. It’s no coincidence that Golden State won those three games, and lost Game 2 when he scored just 20 points. Tonight we will expect another brilliant game from Steph, and it’s most likely that he will exceed our expectations again. That’s what Golden State will be hoping for at least.
Game 3 recap
The Warriors returned home without Jimmy Butler who took a hard fall in Game 2 and had to sit out not just the rest of that game but Game 3 as well. That meant it was going to be up to Stephen Curry to step up and lead his team to victory. That’s exactly what he did. It was tight throughout the entire 48 minutes and the Rockets led by double digits at one point in the first half. Fred VanVleet was the top scorer for Houston, scoring 17 points, but no one stepped up and lifted the Rockets to the finish line like Steph Curry did to the Warriors. Curry had 36 points and as always had a couple of massive shots to determine the game late in the 4th quarter.
We are live from San Francisco
Hello everyone and welcome to the Chase Center where the Golden State Warriors returned home and got a huge win on Saturday night. It was overshadowed by the Nuggets buzzer beating win over the Clips, but the Warriors and Rockets were locked in an air tight battle until the very end. The post season experience shined through for the Warriors who were led by Steph Curry who had another fantastic playoff performance without his costar Jimmy Butler. Tonight the Warriors have a chance to put a foot and a half in the second round with a win tonight over the Rockets.
Rockets vs. Warriors Game 4 live
It’s Game 4 of the must watch series of the first round. The lower seed has taken control of home court advantage after a game in the Chase Center and if they can take care of business tonight, they would take a massive step towards the next round of the playoffs. It’s the Golden State Warriors back at home, hosting the Houston Rockets in a can’t miss match up from the Bay. AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of Game 4 in San Fran.