San Francisco – The Golden State Warriors have made their way to A Graveleuse 109-106 victory above the Houston Rockets on Monday evening, taking A 3-1 advance in their series of playoffs in the first round. With Brandin Podziemski playing like a seasoned veteran and Jimmy Butler delivering in the most critical moments of the game, the Warriors are now a victory to go to the semi-finals of the Western Conference.
Jimmy Butler saves the day
When the Warriors needed someone to close the Houston door, Jimmy Butler came forward – the bruised basin and everything. After a slow start in first half with only nine points and three shooting attempts, “Robin” returned to score 23 of his 27 points in the second period, including 14 in a fourth quarter of pressure. But it was his last act that sealed victory and reminded everyone why he is one of the most grumpy artists in the League.
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With Golden State hanging on an advance of 107-106 and 10 seconds to play, Alperen şengün missed a baby hook in painting on Draymond Green, with Butler jumping on what seemed to be giants to lower a critical rebound, pulling a fault in the process.
A few moments later, standing calmly on the line of free throws while Chase Center held his collective breath, Butler sank the two shots to prolong the advance at three. It was the exclamation mark of a night full of clutch games, while the despair of Fred Van Vleet was lifted to the buzzer did not fail.
Jimmy Butler III returned from an injury and collected 27 points, including 12 out of 12 from the stripe of the charity, for the Warriors on Monday evening. (Image photo Ezra Shaw / Getty)
(Ezra Shaw via Getty Images)
“Jimmy really transported us to the fourth,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “If it was the regular season, it would probably be missing for a week or two. But these are the playoffs and he is Jimmy Butler.”
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It was clear that Butler was not 100%, grimacing at the end of the match, but his tenacity went beyond the statistics sheet. After missing game 3Butler's refusal to retreat when the match became tight was the heart rate that kept Golden State alive in a chaotic game.
Podziemski's Career Night – The last unknown hero of the Warriors
While Butler closed the show, Brandin Podziemski was the act that held the lights overnight. The second year player broke out for a 26 -point career summit, offering a shot after a crucial blow to keep the Warriors at a distance from Houston's overvoltages.
“Since his return from injury, he has been about lights,” 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” in the second half, walking the Warriors as their top scorer. His ropes of riders and 3 in a timely manner raised the Warriors in a race of 18-1 which lasted the second and third quarters, offering an essential stability while Green caused naux problems and Stephen Curry faced a strong defensive pressure.
“Brandin is a great player. A two -year -old (guy) who plays like a 10th year guy,” said Kerr.
Podziemski looked like the future Warriors fans hoped that he would have become. However, this future quickly became the present in the lights of the playoffs. Podziemski finished with 26 points (9 for 18 FG, 6-11 3PT, 5-5 ft) with five rebounds, five assists, two interceptions and a block in 40 minutes.
Rocket adjustments were not sufficient
Free throws continue to be the Achilles heel of the Rockets, because they have missed at least 10 free throws in consecutive road matches. With this descending game over the thread, the missed gifts of the line (19 for 31) made the difference. Life was difficult for Houston during this road trip, but there were at least signs of life from Alperen şengün, Fred Van Vleet and Amen Thompson. The trio represented 73 of the 106 points of the Rockets.
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I cannot say the same thing for Jalen Green, who had established a new playoff series with five reversals and has become practically unplayable in the second half. It was really a weak light torn apart by Buddy Hield twice in the first four minutes of the match. Its disappointing performance led the Rockets to become big, an adjustment that can be worth exploring more in match 5. The Rockets have done their best to take off the game – technicians, samples and almost fights. The Rockets tried to impose their physique at all times throughout the first half.
He continued in the third quarter, Ime Udoka moving to a larger range which presented the FVV-Brooks-Smith Jr.-Sungün-Adams range-a program that was Rarely used Before match 4. Houston used this programming over nine minutes in the third quarter, finishing at +11. This unit also allowed Houston to pack the painting and attack the edge tirelessly. The transition to a large, heavy range ended with Steven Adams playing a top of the season 27 minutes, ending with more than +16.
From this demonstration in the middle of the third trimester, it was obvious that the Rockets wanted to obtain a percentage of higher fire near the edge, especially when Draymond Green was released with five faults. Amen Thompson became aggressive, getting descended for having scored eight of 17 points in the fourth quarter. Fourteen of the 31 points of şENGün were between 0 and 4 feet.
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“They made large adjustments this evening, playing the double -port range, playing less green,” said Kerr.
This worked for a large part of the second half, because Houston finished with an EFG% higher than Golden State at the end of the night, punishing them in the painting from 48 to 28. The disadvantage, however, was that they could not completely move away from the dubs. Their adjustment to play more defense on the areas, due to Adams, left vulnerabilities on the perimeter. Despite the limitation of curry to only 3 for 7 shots in the second period, Podziemski and Hield prospered by going a 6 for 12 combined of 3 through the last two images.
Not even an amazing trend in 2025 teams reaching 100 points first, with a 25-2 file, could save the fate of the Rockets.
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Şengün played better. Vanvleet provided an offensive spark much necessary. Their shots fell more than all the series (49.4%). They made the mortal curry. What else can we do?
Ahead
The Rockets are now going home, their backs against the wall and looking for something, something more to keep their season alive. Kerr's alignment decisions (such as Hield's insertion in the starting range of match 4) paid. Will IME UDOKA remain the course or will he plan to use larger alignments? Who, besides, can şengün create their own shot? For the Warriors, match 5 represents a chance to conclude the agreement and to move on, armed with a new momentum and potentially a highly anticipated R&R.
