Three down. One to go.#DubNation pic.twitter.com/0u7lnvrw1B
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 29, 2025
The Chase Center was raucous as the Golden State Warriors narrowly defeated the Houston Rockets 109-106 in a thrilling Game 4 of the NBA playoffs’ opening round, pushing Houston to the brink of elimination.
It was a close game where the biggest lead was just 12 points in the first quarter by the Warriors, but this lead was immediately erased by the Rockets in the second quarter. Houston even managed to build a 7-point lead before the end of the first half.
The Warriors were forced to sit Draymond Green in the first half due to foul trouble, but he was pivotal on the defensive end, including the last play against Sengun with 6 seconds remaining. Green finished with 6 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists, but his presence was more impactful than the numbers on the stat sheet suggest.
BEST 👏 DEFENDER 👏 IN 👏 THE 👏 WORLD@Kia || Clutch Plays pic.twitter.com/Sk4e0XHs8J
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 29, 2025
After a slow start, Steph Curry primarily played as a decoy for the majority of the game and added 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Steph beat the buzzer for three
📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/Kjd5jbCvwM
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 29, 2025
Jimmy Butler, back from his hip injury sustained in Game 2, led the Warriors with 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. He scored 14 of his 27 points in the final frame, including the Warriors’ last 7 points.
7's finesse. 2's finish.@chase || Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/OSCPMyPLjh
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 29, 2025
Brandin Podziemski made a significant contribution for the Warriors, scoring 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. He was also a major presence on the defensive end down the stretch, blocking Fred VanVleet’s floater with 2 minutes remaining that could have given the Rockets the lead.
JIMMY & PODZ GUIDE THE OFFENSE IN A GAME 4 WIN FOR THE WARRIORS 💪
Jimmy: 27 PTS (14 in 4Q) | 6 AST | 5 REB
Podz: 26 PTS | 5 REB | 5 AST | 6 3PM | 2 STLGolden State takes a 3-1 series lead in the First Round of the #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google! pic.twitter.com/8nldw5KAzX
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2025
Houston’s leading scorer was Alperen Sengun with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. Fred VanVleet followed up his Game 2 performance with 25 points and 6 assists. Jalen Green was a non-factor, continuing a trend from Game 3, with just 8 points, 3 rebounds, and one assist. This is a stark contrast to Game 2, where Green was the Rockets’ leading scorer with 38 points and 6 assists.
Despite the loss, Sengun & VanVleet SHOWED OUT for the Rockets tonight 🚀
Sengun: 31 PTS | 10 REB | 5 AST | 2 STL
VanVleet: 25 PTS | 6 AST | 8 3PM pic.twitter.com/9Oz6LMSJXb— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2025
The Rockets will look to extend the series as they head back home, while the Warriors will try to close it out on Wednesday, April 30th.