By Yusuf Kose habername.com

Sun, April 27, 2025

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors knew they needed someone to step up with Jimmy Butler sidelined, and Steph Curry made sure the Chase Center crowd had plenty to cheer about.

Behind Curry’s 36 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds, Golden State pulled out a 104–93 win over the Rockets in Game 3, taking a 2–1 lead in the first-round series. It wasn’t a flawless performance, but it was gritty, and it put the Warriors one step closer to advancing. Curry started slow, scoring just two points in the first quarter as Houston packed the paint and blitzed him off screens. But by the second quarter, he adjusted — attacking the rim, finding his midrange, and heating up from deep. He dropped 15 points by halftime, then took over in the third, scoring 12 of Golden State’s 23 points in the frame.

Even with the Rockets sending multiple defenders his way, Curry found his rhythm when the Warriors needed it most, finishing 5-of-13 from three and hitting clutch shots down the stretch.

The Warriors' supporting cast, especially the starters, struggled to get much going offensively. The four other starters combined for just 26 points. But off the bench, Buddy Hield delivered his best game of the postseason so far. Hield poured in 17 points in 29 minutes, knocking down five threes and giving Golden State a much-needed second scoring punch. He and Curry combined to hit 10 of the team’s 14 total threes.

"Buddy gave us life tonight," Steve Kerr said postgame. "When things got tight, his shots gave us the boost we needed."

Kerr made a few lineup changes with Butler out, inserting Jonathan Kuminga and rookie center Quinten Post into the starting five. Kuminga scored 7 points in limited minutes but neverfully found a rhythm. Post, on the other hand, grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds, battling Houston’s size inside.

Even though Houston continued to cause problems with their length, the Warriors countered by dominating second-chance points, fastbreak points, and taking care of the ball —committing only 10 turnovers.

It wasn’t perfect. The Warriors once again had a sluggish first quarter, scoring just 18 points, and there were stretches where offense came solely from Curry and Hield. But when it mattered, they found enough.

History is now on Golden State’s side — teams that win Game 3 when a series is tied 1–1 go on to win the series nearly 75% of the time.

Game 4 is set for Monday night at Chase Center, where the Warriors will try to push Houston to the brink and move one step closer to the second round.