The Butler did it.
Six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler returned from a one-game absence due to injury, and his impact was felt immediately, scoring 23 of his 27 points in the second half of a Golden State Warriors win at home over the Houston Rockets for a 3-1 playoff series lead.
Butler, who suffered a pelvic bruise in Game 2, made 7 of 12 field goal attempts and all 12 of his free throws in the 109-106 victory Monday in San Francisco.
“I woke up and I was good enough, so I was able to go out there and compete,” Butler, who scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, told the media.
“I’m not going to say I’m not hurting, but it’s a good pain whenever it is all toward winning.”
The Warriors were outshot by a significant margin, 49.4% to 41.9% but were hot from beyond the arc, drilling 17 3-pointers and 20 of 22 free throw attempts. The Rockets knocked down 11 3-pointers of their own, however, they left a lot of points on the board from the charity strike, just 19 of 31 free throw attempts. The Warriors also edged their opponents 27-18 in assists and played a relatively clean game with only eight turnovers.
Tempers flared at times in the Game 4 clash and featured four technical fouls, 11 lead changes and were tied 10 times. Brandin Podziemski made six 3-pointers on his way to 26 points. Stephen Curry contributed 17 points on an off-shooting night.
“Everybody contributed to a level that we needed and that’s the playoffs,” Curry said. “Every game has a different identity and a different feel. It’s hard to predict how it’s going to look, but you have to have five guys on the floor ready for their moment.”
Embed from Getty ImagesRockets center Alperen Sengun, who put up a game-high 31 points, scored the first basket of the evening 20 seconds after the tip-off. The Warriors proceeded to go on a 13-0 surge. The Rockets, who trailed by two, 28-26, after twelve minutes, started a 13-3 run toward the end of the first quarter and carried that momentum into the second to recapture the lead 9:19 before halftime.
The lead would shift six more times in the second quarter. The Rockets took a seven-point lead, 57-50, into the locker room. Podziemski led all scorers with 13 points through the first two quarters. Rockets guard Fred VanVleet netted a dozen-first half points, including nine in the second quarter.
The Warriors shot poorly from the field, making just 9 of 26 shots in the first quarter, including 4 of 15 from 3-point range. They could not hit the broad side of a barn, connecting on just 38.1% of their first-half shots, compared to the Rockets’ 54.1% clip.
They made adjustments and responded by scoring 18 of the first 19 points of the third quarter for a 10-point advantage, 68-58. The Rockets rallied to close the gap but still trailed 82-80 to start the fourth. Guard Buddy Hield scored 10 points in the third quarter, when the Warriors held a 32-23 scoring edge.
The Rockets held the lead for the lions’ share of the fourth quarter, which featured just two lead changes. Sengun hit two free throws for a 92-90 edge with just under eight minutes remaining. The Rockets led by four, 101-97, about 3:30 later.
Butler, who is known as ‘Playoff Jimmy’, went on to score 11 of the Warriors’ final 14 points to help seal the victory. He made it a one possession game, cutting the deficit to two with a layup with 3:58 remaining. Curry assisted a Hield 3-pointer on the ensuing possession for a 102-101 advantage and the Warriors never looked back.
VanVleet tightened the game with a game-tying 3-pointer with 1:20 left on the clock, but Butler sank three crucial free throws on a questionable foul call about 20 seconds later for a 107-104 Warriors lead. Sengun hit another shot to cut the deficit to one with 41 seconds remaining. Butler kept the Warriors ahead with another two free throws before VanVleet came up short on a game-tying 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
VanVleet made 8 of 13 shots, including an 8 of 12 clip from 3-point range, in route to 25 points. Sengun chipped in 10 rebounds and five assists, in addition to his game-high point total. Rockets forward Amen Thompson had a solid game, totaling 17 points and nine rebounds.
The Warriors (3-1) will battle the Rockets (1-3) in Game 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday in Houston.
