The Golden State Warriors produced a determined effort to outlast the Houston Rockets in Game 3 of this Western Conference first-round series without Jimmy Butler on Saturday, with the reward for their perseverance manifesting in Butler carrying Golden State down the stretch and through the finish line in Game 4 on Monday.
Hobbled by a lower-body injury sustained in the second game, one that sidelined him in Game 3, Butler powered the Warriors to a 109-106 victory in Game 4 and a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Golden State can eliminate the Rockets on Wednesday with a win in Houston, armed with the knowledge they have triumphed with and without Butler, although the first option is far more appealing.
Butler paired a team-high 27 points with five rebounds and six assists on Monday. He finished 12 of 12 from the free-throw line and secured the decisive rebound after Rockets center Alperen Sengun missed in the waning moments with an opportunity to provide Houston the lead.
Acquired from the Miami Heat at the trade deadline in February, Butler continues to deliver in every way imaginable for the Warriors.
“We have a great vibe here,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Steph (Curry) sets an amazing tone. Jimmy arrived, he was instantly welcomed by Steph and the group, and vice versa. Jimmy really wanted to be here.
“It’s just a great, great match. He was exactly what we needed. We’ve given him a group of guys to play with that I think he really enjoys. Yeah, it’s been fun to watch it all unfold.”
The second-seeded Rockets are having far less fun laboring opposite Butler. Houston’s inexperience continues to show at the most inopportune time, whether at the charity stripe — Houston has missed a whopping 35 free throws in the series — or in close and late situations.
The Warriors have outscored the Rockets by nine points in the series — with a cumulative plus-15 in the fourth quarter of their three victories — and have continually displayed an ability to execute on both ends when winning time beckons.
“Guys are down,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “But they understand that the game we’ve played well — the one game out of the four — we had a blowout win, and other games it’s been a one-possession game a lot of times, or we’ve had a fourth quarter lead and not played well.
“Consistency wins in this series, and we’ve talked about that from day one, and we have to be a lot more consistent across the board. The plan is obviously to go home and get one and come back (to San Francisco).”
Given the trajectory of this series, that might prove to be a daunting task for the Rockets. Their young core of Sengun, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson and Tari Eason has played erratically. Conversely, the Warriors have relied on their ample playoff experience to see them through.
The final win will be the most difficult. Of that truth, the Warriors are acutely aware.
“You don’t want to mess around with the game,” Curry said. “You understand closeout games are extremely difficult because of desperation from the other side, try to do it on the road is even more challenging.
“Doesn’t mean you have to play perfect. You don’t want to come in with that mentality. Oh, if we miss shots early, if they go on a run early, you don’t want to get it in your head. It’s a long game. Be resilient, relentless. You got to be disciplined more so than anything. I think that’s our biggest challenge.”
