Stephen Curry shined in the Golden State Warriors’ 104-93 win over the Houston Rockets at home on Saturday, leading the team to a 2-1 series lead without Jimmy Butler III.
Curry finished with 36 points, seven rebounds and nine assists while shooting 12-of-23 from the field. Buddy Hield added 17 points off the bench, hitting 5-of-11 from beyond the arc. Gary Payton II chipped in with 16 points and Brandin Podziemski contributed 10.
On the Rockets’ side, Fred VanVleet posted 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting, with Dillon Brooks adding 13 and Jalen Green finishing with nine.
With the win, Golden State now leads the Western Conference first-round series 2-1. Curry’s performance energized fans as he carried the team to victory.
Butler was sidelined during Golden State’s Game 2 loss to the Rockets and was officially ruled out on Saturday with a deep glute muscle contusion, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Podziemski got off to a hot start for the Warriors, knocking down a jump shot and a 26-foot three-pointer to grab a quick five points. Meanwhile, Golden State’s starters struggled, with Draymond Green, Curry and Jonathan Kuminga combining for just four points as the Rockets took a 22-18 lead into the second quarter.
Both teams got off to a slow start in the second quarter, with Green and VanVleet both going scoreless for the Rockets.
A dominant and-one finish from Green finally got him his first points of the game. Curry picked up the pace, scoring 13 points in the second while shooting 4-of-7 from the field. Hield found his rhythm as well, finishing the half with 11 points as the Warriors went on a 9-0 run to close the quarter, trailing by three at the break.
Out of halftime, Curry caught fire, scoring 12 points in the third quarter, highlighted by an impressive side-step three-pointer. He shot 5-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
The Rockets’ starters struggled, as Brooks, VanVleet and Green combined for just five points between them. Despite the struggles, Houston held a 71-69 lead heading into the fourth.
Green, Moses Moody, Curry and Hield all found baskets as the Warriors moved the ball well on offense. Payton went on a nine-point scoring run to give Golden State a six-point lead, followed by a dagger three-pointer from Curry.
Clutch points from Podziemski and strong defense from Green sealed the win, with Curry’s free throws capping off the Game 3 victory.
Golden State will look to take Game 4 on Monday at home, aiming for a potential 3-1 lead in the series.
