Point guard Stephen Curry recorded a game-high 36 points, and despite the absence of Jimmy Butler III due to injury, the Golden State Warriors overcame the visiting Houston Rockets 104-93 to take a 2-1 lead in their NBA first-round playoff series in San Francisco. The Warriors’ Gary Payton II contributed a postseason career-high 16 points, including a significant late-game scoring spree, and Buddy Hield made five 3-pointers, accounting for most of his 17 points. Rookie Quinten Post, starting his first playoff game, led the team with a game-high 12 rebounds. Curry commented that every game in this series will be challenging and that the Warriors needed to “grind it out and make the right plays.” With another home victory on Monday, the seventh-seeded Warriors could extend their lead in the Western Conference series.
After learning that Jimmy Butler would not play due to a glute contusion, the Warriors stepped up their performance, with everyone playing for their injured teammate. The Rockets held the Warriors to just 18 points in the first quarter, but Golden State rallied to be within 49-46 at halftime. In the second half, a 3-pointer by Dillon Brooks gave the Rockets their last lead of 84-83, but Payton took over the game, scoring a personal 9-point run to open a 92-86 lead with 3:42 remaining. “Everyone has confidence,” Curry said. “Gary was incredible—taking advantage of double teams, finishing at the rim, and we have the big three in the corner.”
Curry finished the game with 30 points, his fifth 3-pointer of the night, and a game-high nine assists. The Rockets’ Fred VanVleet acknowledged Curry’s status among the all-time greats but pointed out that their defensive coverages were slower than in the previous game. VanVleet also led the Rockets with 17 points, while Alperen Sengun contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds.
In other games, the Oklahoma City Thunder completed a 4-0 sweep in their Western Conference playoff series with a 117-115 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the verge of advancing to the second round with a 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference series after a 124-87 victory over the Miami Heat. The Denver Nuggets evened their Western Conference series with a 101-99 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, thanks to Aaron Gordon’s buzzer-beating dunk.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2025/4/27/curry-warriors-defeat-rockets-in-game-three-with-injured-butler-on-sidelines?traffic_source=rss
