Jimmy Butler returned from injury in style to guide the Golden State Warriors to a hard-fought 109-106 victory over the Houston Rockets and leave Steve Kerr’s side one win away from the next stage of the playoffs.
Butler, back in the lineup after missing Game 3, added a game-high 27 in a feisty contest at Chase Center. The 35-year-old All-Star nailed five free throws at the death to clinch victory for Golden State, who moved to 3-1 ahead in the best-of-seven series.
With Stephen Curry having a quiet night (he scored 17 points), rookie guard Brandin Podziemski made his presence felt, making 6 of 11 attempts from behind the arc as he scored 26 points.
Houston was up by seven in the early part of the second half, but the Warriors used an 18-1 run to take control. The Rockets briefly regained the led late in the fourth, but Butler’s late-game heroics were the difference.
“Jimmy was phenomenal,” said coach Steve Kerr. “He played through pain — it’s the playoffs and he’s Jimmy Butler.
I thought, ‘OK, I got my joy back. The joy in doing the thing I love to do.’”Butler said: “I got my joy back. I would die for these guys.”
