SAN FRANCISCO (AP) \u2014 Jimmy Butler converted three free throws with 58.7 seconds left, grabbed the game-clinching rebound with 4 seconds to go and then made two more free throws on the way to 27 points in his return from a pelvic injury, sending the Golden State Warriors past the Houston Rockets 109-106 on Monday night in a heated Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.<\/p>\n
Fred VanVleet missed a 3-pointer under pressure at the buzzer.<\/p>\n
The teams return to Houston for Game 5 in the best-of-seven series on Wednesday night as seventh-seeded Golden State tries to close out the No. 2 seed Rockets on their home floor.<\/p>\n
Brandin Podziemski scored 26 points, Stephen Curry finished with 17 in the frantic finish and Buddy Hield hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:32 left and scored 15 after joining the starting lineup.<\/p>\n
Alperen Sengun scored with 40 seconds left for Houston to make it a one-point game. He had 31 points and 10 rebounds, while VanVleet hit a tying 3-pointer with 1:20 to play and scored 25 points.<\/p>\n
Butler was back after sitting out Game 3<\/a> with a pelvic contusion and deep gluteal muscle bruise suffered on a hard fall when he was fouled by Amen Thompson early in Game 2.<\/p>\n The second quarter Monday featured four technical fouls and a flagrant 1 in two separate tussles<\/a>, including shoving during one sequence involving Curry, Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks.<\/p>\n With the game tied at 36, Curry dribbled down the sideline when Green put a hard screen on Houston\u2019s Amen Thompson. Brooks fouled Curry and he appeared to become angry about the push before going at Curry and Green.<\/p>\n Curry received a technical for \u201ctaunting\u201d Brooks, who also received a technical along with Green. Warriors rookie Quinten Post and Houston\u2019s Jabari Smith Jr. flailed their arms at each other but avoided technicals upon replay review by the officials.<\/p>\n Then with 2:44 left in the quarter, tempers flared again. Green received a Flagrant 1 foul for pushing Tari Eason\u2019s face to the ground and Eason also received a technical. Green was dribbling when Eason went for a steal and the ball got loose and both players hit the floor trying to corral it. Green\u2019s left leg was on the Rockets forward\u2019s neck. <\/p>\n Butler shot 7 for 12 in 40 minutes after he watched Curry overcome a slow start to finish with 36 points<\/a>, nine assists and seven rebounds in Golden State\u2019s 104-93 victory Saturday night without him.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n