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SAN FRANCISCO — Draymond Green swiped the ball and launched a pass to Gary Payton II, who streaked down the court and capped the night with a reverse dunk, sealing the Golden State Warriors' 104-93 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 3 on Saturday.
Jimmy Butler, sidelined with an injury, rose from his seat and applauded as the Chase Center crowd erupted. Without their star forward, the Warriors delivered arguably their most resilient performance of the season, taking a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
"We had Jimmy's back tonight," said Payton, who came off the bench to score 16 points. "Hopefully, we get him back for Game 4 and get back to our usual program."
Butler missed Game 3 after suffering a pelvic and gluteal muscle contusion from a fall in Game 2. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Butler remains day-to-day, giving him extra time to heal before Monday's critical Game 4.
Without Butler, Golden State shook up its starting lineup, inserting Jonathan Kuminga and Quinten Post. Early on, Houston took advantage, building a 13-point lead in the second quarter as the Warriors' offense sputtered.
Then Stephen Curry took over.
Despite relentless double-teams and Houston's physical defense, Curry found his groove, scoring 25 of his 36 points across the second and third quarters. He hit 9 of 13 shots in that stretch, helping Golden State claw back and trail by just two entering the fourth.
"He's Steph Curry," Kerr said. "One of the greatest ever. At 37, he's still one of the most conditioned athletes I’ve ever seen. To play 41 minutes against that kind of pressure and take over the way he did — just brilliant."
Curry wasn’t alone. Buddy Hield drilled five 3-pointers for 17 points, while Payton capitalized on Houston's attention to Curry, scoring nine straight points in the fourth quarter and setting up Curry for a dagger three that pushed the lead to 95-86 with 3:05 left.
Houston threw double-teams at Curry 27 times in Game 3, but Golden State averaged 1.22 points per play against them, per ESPN Research.
"We prepped like Jimmy was playing," Rockets guard Fred VanVleet said. "You can't guess who’s in or out. Every loss feels like a missed opportunity. Jimmy changes them, but credit to Payton and their bench. They responded like good teams do. No scrubs in the playoffs."
After a 38-point explosion in Game 2, Jalen Green was held to just nine points, six rebounds, and five assists in Game 3. Alperen Sengun led Houston with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Dillon Brooks had 13 before fouling out.
Tempers flared after the final buzzer, with Jalen Green exchanging words with Draymond Green.
"Just talking," Jalen Green said. "Steph had a great game — that’s why they won. Draymond? Talking is all he’s got."
Afterward, Butler posted an Instagram story featuring the Bat-Signal, but with Curry’s Under Armour logo instead of Batman’s. Butler, who jokingly calls himself "Robin" to Curry’s "Batman," captioned it: "Thanks Batman and team — excluding Buddy."
Curry, who's averaging 33.5 points in Golden State's two wins this series, laughed at the post.
"I just know I have to keep playing at a high level," Curry said. "Jimmy, Draymond, the whole squad. Whatever nickname he gives me, I’ll embrace it — just hope he’s back with us Monday."
Meanwhile in Memphis:
The Oklahoma City Thunder completed a first-round sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, clinching a 117-115 victory in Game 4 thanks to MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 38-point night.
Despite a shaky shooting start in the series, Gilgeous-Alexander erupted, hitting 13 of 24 shots, including his first seven. He finished with 38 points, five rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
"I didn't think he changed anything," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "He just found his rhythm."
Gilgeous-Alexander, who won the regular-season scoring title, credited his mental growth for pushing through his early struggles.
"In the past, I would've backed off," he said. "This year, I've made a jump mentally, and tonight showed it."
First-time All-Star Jalen Williams continued his stellar postseason, averaging 23.3 points and 5.3 assists during the sweep. He added 23 points and five assists in the clincher.
Even with a poor 3-point shooting night (7-for-35), the Thunder leaned on defense, forcing 22 turnovers and turning them into 32 points. That continued a series-long theme: Oklahoma City scored 103 points off turnovers across four games.
While Gilgeous-Alexander’s early shooting woes drew attention, teammates like Chet Holmgren defended him.
"I think he had a hell of a series," Holmgren said. "He made the right plays all along. He’s special — and he’s just getting started."
The Thunder now await the winner of the Denver Nuggets–LA Clippers series.
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