Apr 28, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) celebrates with forward Jimmy Butler III (10) after a play against the Houston Rockets during the fourth quarter of game four of the 2025 NBA Playoffs first round at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
This is why you trade for Jimmy Butler III mid-season.
Butler, returning after missing Game 3 with a pelvic contusion, scored 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, including hitting five free throws down the stretch and grabbing the game-securing rebound.
Playoff Jimmy came to PLAY in the fourth quarter
He scored 14 of his 27 PTS in the final frame to lead the Warriors to victory and a 3-1 series lead! pic.twitter.com/txCJqoZDgh
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2025
This is why Draymond Green was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year.
He was in foul trouble for much of Game 4 on Monday, and when he was off the court, Rockets big man Alperen Sengun thrived, finishing with 31 points and 10 rebounds. Green was back in for the final Rockets play of the game, and Sengun went right at Green.
DRAYMOND GETS THE STOP ❌ pic.twitter.com/teYnj6UjFd
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 29, 2025
Ultimately, those two were what the Warriors needed. Golden State beat Houston 106-103 and with that took a 3-1 lead in the series. Game 5 is back in Houston on Wednesday.
It was an intense, back-and-forth game that included a second-quarter altercation. It was 36-36 midway through the second quarter and Stephen Curry was dribbling down the sideline, Green set a hard screen on Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks soon fouled Curry but took exception to a push and there was a little action. Green did not get a technical foul for this, but did later for a foul on Tari Eason’s where both men ended up on the ground and Green’s leg was on Eason’s neck.
The Warriors’ other stars stepped up on a night Curry looked human, finishing with 17 points and shooting 2-of-8 from 3. Brandin Podziemski stepped up for Golden State and scored 26, shooting 6-of-11 on 3-pointers.
Houston’s halfcourt offense looked better in much of Game 4 than it had this series, with the key reason for that being Fred VanVleet could not seem to miss from beyond the arc. VanVleet hit eight 3-pointers on his way to 25 points.
However, with the game on the line, the Rockets halfcourt offense froze up again. Jalen Green looked like the answer to unsticking that offense a couple of nights ago, but he had just eight points in this one. Amen Thompson scored 17 points but was on the bench in the final seconds. It fell to Sengun to create, and he came up just short.
With that, Golden State is one win away from advancing.
