Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle
Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle
Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle
Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle
Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle
Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle
Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle
Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle
Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle
The Golden State Warriors played the Houston Rockets in Game 3 of their best-of-seven playoff series Saturday at Chase Center without Jimmy Butler.
Cue another clinic from Stephen Curry.
With Butler sidelined by a pelvic and deep glute contusion, the Warriors rode their superstar guard for 36 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in a 104-93 victory. As a result, they’re up 2-1 with Game 4 looming Monday at Chase Center. Buddy Hield added 17 points and five 3-pointers for Golden State as Gary Payton II scored 11 fourth-quarter points, converting the go-ahead layup en route to a career-playoff-high 16 points
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Quinten Post added 12 rebounds and four assists for the Warriors, who held Houston to 39.5% shooting — with Draymond Green anchoring their defense — as the Rockets shot 14 of 24 from the free-throw line.
Fred VanVleet led the Rockets with 17 points.
Butler was considered questionable to play but was scratched pregame after warming up. The Warriors altered their small-ball starting lineup, starting Post and Jonathan Kuminga with Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski and Curry.
Houston skewed its already aggressive defense toward Curry even more, harassing him with speed and length via multiple defenders, blitzes and traps. Without Butler to organize offense, Golden State struggled to score altogether.
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For an eight-minute stretch within the first and second quarters, the Warriors made one field goal — a 3-pointer from Gary Payton II — and scored four points.
The Rockets weren’t much more efficient as Jalen Green (38 points in Game 2) was blanketed by Kuminga and Payton and Golden State’s Green on defensive switches for five first-half points on four attempts. VanVleet scored 13 in the first quarter and sparked what became a 13-point deficit for Golden State midway through the second.
But Curry found slivers of space to navigate on and off the ball to power the Warriors to a 28-27 second-quarter edge with 13 of his 15 first-half points. In the final minute, he blocked VanVleet and lofted an outlet pass to Hield, who finished a layup in transition after making a triple the previous possession.
The Warriors trailed 49-46 at halftime, slowing the Rockets with steely team defense.
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Curry attacked for 12 third-quarter points, bending around ball screens, snapping his dribble and driving to the basket as Golden State and Houston traded baskets. Kuminga added two layups and Hield made his fourth 3-pointer for a 71-69 deficit with 12 minutes to play.
A back-and-forth fourth quarter was played within a 3-point margin until Curry drove and kicked to Payton for a four-point lead with 4:29 to play. Payton followed with a cutting dunk that Podziemski assisted from the top of the key, capping his run of nine straight points — seven of which were assisted by Curry.
With 3:05 to play, Curry drilled his fifth 3-pointer from 30 feet out at the top of the key. A sellout crowd mostly dressed in yellow stood to watch the finish in approval.
Houston’s Green finished with nine points on 4-of-11 shooting. Guarded by Green, star big man Alperen Sengun had 15 points on 7-of-18 shooting.
