The series is all tied up at 2-2 as the Warriors dropped Game 4 to the Houston Rockets on Monday night.
It took a few possessions for the Dubs to get going on Monday night in Houston, and the Rockets came out hot, ready to take another victory on their own floor. Though the Warriors’ starters combined for 97 points, it wasn’t enough to close-out. Kevin Durant dropped a team-high 34, while Stephen Curry added 30 points, four rebounds and eight assists.
TEAM LEADERS
After struggling to get his shot to fall in their previous contest, Stephen Curry hit the ground running; scoring or assisting on 9 of team's 12 made field goals in first quarter, and three of those shots came on drives to the rim. “He just looked like himself,” Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr said of the two-time MVP. “He’s been doing this for a long time. Usually when he has a bad game he comes back pretty strong.”
Despite the loss, the Dubs had some good things going; from Durant’s fadeaways to a buzzer-beater from Andre Iguodala. It was a close contest throughout the first half, and while the Dubs were down heading into the break that shot from Iguodala seemed to be the spark the Dubs might need to really get going.
The Rockets pulled ahead in the third frame, but the Warriors didn’t let it phase them. By the end of the quarter the Dubs were on a run and had closed-in on Houston, cutting their lead to just nine. The squad didn’t let up; brought the game within two points in the final seconds, but open looks from both Curry and Durant didn’t fall. It was a solid effort from the Dubs, just they ran out of gas.
More notable moments from the matchup:
- With his 34 points, Durant has now amassed 4,010 during his postseason career. He is just the 10th player in NBA history to surpass the 4,000 point plateau.
- Curry appeared in his 100th postseason game as a Warrior, joining Klay Thompson (112) and Draymond Green (111) as the only Warriors to accomplish the feat.
- Curry, Durant and Thompson combined for 75 points (Curry 30, Durant 34 and Thompson 11) and are now 21-4 all-time when combining for 70-or-more points in the same postseason contest (5-3 this postseason).
- Green recorded his third-consecutive double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds (fourth of the 2019 postseason).
- In the postseason, Golden State is 14-7 vs. Houston dating back to 2015. Including the current series, the Warriors and Rockets have faced each other in four of the last five postseasons.
UP NEXT
The Western Conference Semifinals continue Wednesday, May 8, on Warriors Ground. Game 5, presented by Mountain Dew and Lucky Supermarkets tips off at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific). Don’t have your seats yet? Get them here.