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A tightly contested game saw the more experienced Warriors team come through in the end. Golden State closed on a 12-5 run over the final four minutes to pick up the pivotal win. It’s a crushing blow for a Rockets team that will now need to rally to get back into the series.
After dropping Game 3 to a Warriors team that was without Jimmy Butler, the Rockets were stunned once again early in Game 4. They fell behind 13-2 as the host Warriors came out strong. Despite the slow start, the Rockets didn’t flinch and the first quarter ended 28-26.
Tensions were at an all-time high as Dillon Brooks, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green picked up a technical foul fouling a brief spat. Green later picked up a flagrant for what the referees considered a kick to the head of Houston’s Tari Eason. Brooks and Butler exchanged words throughout the game. 43 fouls were ultimately called and it caused both teams to lose rhythm throughout the contest.
Houston’s halftime lead was washed away quickly as the Warriors began the third quarter on a 13-0 run. Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield have been key this series for Golden State, and each sank a pair of threes in the third.
In the fourth, each team battled on both ends. However, it was the returning Butler who made the biggest impact. Playing at less than 100-percent, Butler scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and made a handful of clutch plays. Green — who was dealing with foul trouble for much of the game — made the key defensive stop on Alperen Sengun with the Rockets having a chance to take the lead. On the final play, VanVleet — who tied a playoff career-high with eight made threes — came up short on a buzzer-beating attempt to send the game into overtime.
The Rockets now head back to Houston with the daunting task of winning three games in a row. Monday’s fourth quarter featured a heavy dosage of Sengun, VanVleet, and emerging star Amen Thompson. It did not feature much of leading scorer Jalen Green who played seven minutes in the frame and attempted zero shots.
The former No. 2 overall pick exploded for 38 points in Game 2 — Houston’s only win this series — but has been held to single-digit scoring in the three losses. Green finished Monday’s contest with eight points, five turnovers, and went 1-of-3 from the free-throw line.
Green wasn’t the only player who struggled from the charity stripe. The Rockets missed 12 free throws Monday and shot 61-percent (19-of-31) from the line to Golden State’s 90-percent (20-of-22). It’s been a problem all series for Houston. They also missed 9 free throws in Game 1 and 10 in Game 3. In games that have boiled down to just a few possessions, the Rockets are simply giving away points from the free throw line.
Rubbing salt into the wound for the Rockets is that Curry played his worst game of the series, and the Warriors still won. Overall, Houston did a good job of limiting Curry after his explosion in Game 3. Curry was held to 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting (2-of-8 from three) and committed four turnovers. It just didn’t matter with Butler’s fourth-quarter surge and Podziemski chipping in a playoff career-high of 26 points.
