WARRIORS DEFEAT ROCKETS

Rockets come up short in fiery Game 4 loss to Warriors

Rockets come up short in fiery Game 4 loss to Warriors
The Warriors beat the Rockets, 109-106. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images.

Jimmy Butler converted three free throws with 58.7 seconds left, grabbed the game-clinching rebound with 4 seconds to go and then made two more free throws on the way to 27 points in his return from a pelvic injury, sending the Golden State Warriors past the Houston Rockets 109-106 on Monday night in a heated Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Fred VanVleet missed a 3-pointer under pressure at the buzzer.

The teams return to Houston for Game 5 in the best-of-seven series on Wednesday night as seventh-seeded Golden State tries to close out the No. 2 seed Rockets on their home floor.

Brandin Podziemski scored 26 points, Stephen Curry finished with 17 in the frantic finish and Buddy Hield hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:32 left and scored 15 after joining the starting lineup.

Alperen Sengun scored with 40 seconds left for Houston to make it a one-point game. He had 31 points and 10 rebounds, while VanVleet hit a tying 3-pointer with 1:20 to play and scored 25 points.

Butler was back after sitting out Game 3 with a pelvic contusion and deep gluteal muscle bruise suffered on a hard fall when he was fouled by Amen Thompson early in Game 2.

The second quarter Monday featured four technical fouls and a flagrant 1 in two separate tussles, including shoving during one sequence involving Curry, Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks.

With the game tied at 36, Curry dribbled down the sideline when Green put a hard screen on Houston’s Amen Thompson. Brooks fouled Curry and he appeared to become angry about the push before going at Curry and Green.

Curry received a technical for “taunting” Brooks, who also received a technical along with Green. Warriors rookie Quinten Post and Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. flailed their arms at each other but avoided technicals upon replay review by the officials.

Then with 2:44 left in the quarter, tempers flared again. Green received a Flagrant 1 foul for pushing Tari Eason’s face to the ground and Eason also received a technical. Green was dribbling when Eason went for a steal and the ball got loose and both players hit the floor trying to corral it. Green’s left leg was on the Rockets forward’s neck.

Butler shot 7 for 12 in 40 minutes after he watched Curry overcome a slow start to finish with 36 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in Golden State's 104-93 victory Saturday night without him.

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The Astros beat the Reds, 3-0. Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images.

Hunter Brown pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning, and the Houston Astros beat the slumping Cincinnati Reds 3-0 on Friday night.

Brown (6-1) struck out nine, matching his season high for the fourth straight start. The right-hander also issued a season-high four walks in his fifth consecutive win.

Brown departed after Gavin Lux walked with two out in the sixth. Kaleb Ort got Spencer Steer to bounce into a forceout at second.

Josh Hader handled the ninth for his ninth save.

Cincinnati finished with four hits in its sixth loss in seven games.

Reds right-hander Nick Martinez (1-4) surrendered 10 hits and three runs in six innings. He struck out five and walked none.

Zach Dezenzo hit a two-out RBI single in the second, and the Astros added two more runs in the fifth.

Mauricio Dubón followed Brendan Rodgers’ leadoff double with a chopper past third baseman Santiago Espinal, moving Rodgers to third. Jeremy Peña drove in Rodgers with a groundout to second, and Isaac Paredes doubled home Dubón with two down.

Jose Altuve, Christian Walker, and Yainer Diaz each had two hits for the Astros.

Cincinnati's Austin Hays returned from the injured list after missing 10 games with a left hamstring strain. He went 1 for 4.

Reds outfielder Jake Fraley was scratched due to left calf tenderness after missing the last two games.

Key moment

Tyler Stephenson hit a one-out double for Cincinnati in the ninth. But Hader struck out Rece Hinds and Espinal, ending the game.

Key stat

It was Houston's first win against the Reds since June 19, 2016, ending a nine-game skid.

Up next

Lance McCullers Jr. (0-0 0.00 ERA) will make his second start of the season and first home start since October 3, 2022, against Reds right-hander Brady Singer (4-2 3.66 ERA) on Saturday night.

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