SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors fought their way to a gritty 109-106 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday night, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series. With Brandin Podziemski playing like a seasoned veteran and Jimmy Butler delivering in the game’s most critical moments, the Warriors are now one victory away from advancing to the Western Conference semifinals.
Jimmy Butler saves the day
When the Warriors needed someone to close the door on Houston, Jimmy Butler stepped forward — bruised pelvis and all. After a slow start in the first half with just four points and three shot attempts, “Robin” returned to score 23 of his 27 points in the second half, including 14 in a pressure-packed fourth quarter. But it was his final act that sealed the win and reminded everyone why he’s one of the league’s grittiest performers.
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With Golden State clinging to a 107-106 lead and 10 seconds remaining, Alperen Şengün missed a baby hook in the paint over Draymond Green, with Butler leaping over what seemed like giants to pull down a critical rebound, drawing a foul in the process.
Moments later, standing calmly at the free-throw line as Chase Center held its collective breath, Butler sank both shots to extend the lead to three. It was the exclamation point on a night full of clutch plays, as Fred Van Vleet’s desperation heave at the buzzer fell short.
Jimmy Butler III returned from injury and put up 27 points, including 12 of 12 from the charity stripe, for the Warriors on Monday night. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Ezra Shaw via Getty Images)
“Jimmy really carried us in the fourth,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “If it were the regular season, he’d probably miss another week or two. But it’s the playoffs and he’s Jimmy Butler.”
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It was clear Butler wasn’t 100%, wincing late in the game, but his tenacity went beyond the stat sheet. After missing Game 3, Butler’s refusal to back down when the game got tight was the heartbeat that kept Golden State alive in a chaotic game.
Podziemski’s career night — the Warriors’ latest unsung hero
While Butler closed the show, Brandin Podziemski was the act that kept the lights on all night. The second-year player erupted for a playoff career-high 26 points, delivering shot after crucial shot to keep the Warriors within striking distance during Houston’s surges.
“Since coming back from injury, he’s pretty much been lights out,” said Draymond Green
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Starting hot with 10 points in the first quarter and eight in the second, Podziemski carried what Green labeled “irrational confidence” into the second half, pacing the Warriors as their leading scorer until the final seconds. His strings of heady plays and timely 3s lifted the Warriors during an 18-1 run that spanned the second and third quarters, providing much-needed stability as Green dealt with foul trouble and Stephen Curry faced heavy defensive pressure.
“Brandin’s a big-time player. A two-year (guy) who plays like a 10th-year guy,” Kerr said.
Podziemski looked every bit like the future Warriors fans hoped he’d become. However, that future quickly became the present under the playoff lights. Podziemski finished with 26 points (9-for-18 FG, 6-11 3PT, 5-5 FT) with five rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block in 40 minutes.
The Rockets’ adjustments weren’t enough
Free throws continue to be the Rockets’ Achilles heel, as they missed at least 10 free throws in consecutive road games. With this game coming down to the wire, the missed freebies at the line (19-for-31) were the difference. Life has been rough for Houston on this road trip, but there were at least signs of life from Alperen Şengün, Fred Van Vleet and Amen Thompson. The trio accounted for 73 of the Rockets’ 106 points.
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Can’t say the same for Jalen Green, who had set a new playoff high with five turnovers and became virtually unplayable in the second half. It was truly a low-light getting ripped by Buddy Hield twice in the first four minutes of the game. His underwhelming performance led to the Rockets going big, an adjustment that may be worth exploring further in Game 5. The Rockets did their best to muck up the game, from techs to scuffles and almost brawls. They attempted to impose their physicality at every moment, especially in the first half.
It continued into the third quarter, with Ime Udoka moving toward a bigger lineup that featured the FVV-Brooks-Smith Jr.-Şengün-Adams — a lineup that was seldom used before Game 4. Houston used that lineup over nine minutes in the third quarter, finishing at +11. That unit also allowed Houston to pack the paint and attack the rim relentlessly. The shift to a big-heavy lineup ended with Steven Adams playing a season-high 27 minutes, finishing with a plus/minus of +16.
From that mid-third-quarter showing, it was evident that the Rockets wanted to get higher percentage shots near the rim, especially while Draymond Green was out with five fouls. Amen Thompson got aggressive, getting downhill for scoring with eight of his 17 points in the fourth quarter. Fourteen of Şengün’s 31 points came between 0-4 feet.
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“They made big adjustments tonight, playing the double-big lineup, playing Green less,” said Kerr.
It worked for much of the second half, as Houston finished with a higher eFG% than Golden State by night’s end, punishing them in the paint 48-to-28. The downside, however, was that they couldn’t quite pull away from the Dubs. Their adjustment to playing more zone defense, due to Adams, left vulnerabilities on the perimeter. Despite limiting Curry to just 3-for-7 shooting in the second half, Podziemski and Hield thrived going a combined 6-for-12 from 3 across the final two frames.
Not even a staggering 2025 playoff trend of teams reaching 100 points first, boasting a 25-2 record, could save the Rockets’ fate.
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Şengün played better. VanVleet provided a much-needed offensive spark. Their shots were falling more than they have all series (49.4% FG, 48% on threes). They made Curry look mortal. What else can be done?
Looking ahead
The Rockets now return to Houston, tasked with solving a growing list of problems. Ime Udoka’s lineup adjustments will take center stage after Kerr’s tweaks in Game 4, such as starting Buddy Hield, proved effective. Will Udoka double down on his larger frontcourts, or search for another lineup configuration? Changes or not, it’s imperative for Houston to find some consistent shot creation beyond Şengün, move the ball and limit turnovers.
Three-point shooting has also been a glaring gap. Despite Houston’s improved accuracy from deep in Game 4, the Warriors won the volume game, hitting six more threes and doubling the Rockets’ three-point attempts. The Rockets will have to reduce that margin if they hope to extend the series.
For the Warriors, Game 5 not only represents a chance to close out the series but also an opportunity to gain some hard-earned rest before the next round.
