SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Players on the Warriors and Houston Rockets got into a shoving altercation midway through the second quarter of Golden State's 109-106 win Monday night in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series, leading to three technical fouls before tempers flared again just ahead of halftime.
With the game tied at 36, Golden State star Stephen Curry dribbled down the sideline when teammate Draymond Green put a hard screen on Houston's Amen Thompson. Dillon Brooks fouled Curry then appeared to become angry about the push and went at Curry and Green.
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Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) talks to referee Bill Kennedy during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors' Brandin Podziemski, left, passes the ball to Buddy Hield after grabbing it during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets in San Francisco, Monday, April 28, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Golden State Warriors' Quentin Post scuffles with Houston Rockets' Jabari Smith, Jr. and Dillon Brooks in the second quarter of an NBA Playoffs' First Round Game 4 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, April 28, 2025.(Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry drives to the basket against Houston Rockets' Fred VanVleet in the first half of an NBA Playoffs' First Round Game 4 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, April 28, 2025.(Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Golden State Warriors' Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield team up to control loose ball against Houston Rockets' Alperen Sengun in the first half of an NBA Playoffs' First Round Game 4 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, April 28, 2025.(Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Referees and players try to break up the scrum as a fight broke out in the second quarter as the Golden State Warriors played the Houston Rockets during an NBA Playoffs' First Round Game 4 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, April 28, 2025.(Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Houston Rockets' Dillon Brooks gets in a shoving match with Golden State Warriors players during the first half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in San Francisco, on Monday, April 28, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, center, watches Draymond Green scuffle with Houston Rockets' Dillon Brooks in the second quarter of an NBA Playoffs' First Round Game 4 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, April 28, 2025.(Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
From left, Golden State Warriors guards Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski compete for possession of the ball with Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green tangles with Houston Rockets' Tari Eason during the first half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in San Francisco, on Monday, April 28, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
“I got a technical tonight and there was guys way more aggressive than me, so that’s crazy,” Green said. “They were trying to muddy the game up, but it's fine.”
Curry received a technical for “taunting” Brooks, who also received a technical along with Green.
“All he said was that’s two,” Green said in reference to Brooks' two fouls at the time. “There’s been way more taunting than that in this series. But, hey, it is what it is, I like it.”
Warriors rookie Quinten Post and Houston's Jabari Smith Jr. flailed their arms at each other but avoided technicals upon replay review by the officials.
Then with 2:44 left in the quarter, Green received a Flagrant 1 foul for pushing Tari Eason's 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's left leg was on the Rockets forward's neck.
“It’s just part of the game. It’s highly competitive out there,” Rocket center Steven Adams said. “As you know, the playoffs is a different level of competition from regular season, from any of that. Look, people are just playing hard. People play really hard, sometimes things happen. It’s not ill intention. I think you’re just trying to win.”
The Warriors lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 and can clinch with a win in Wednesday's Game 5 on the Rockets' home floor.
Curry appreciated the Warriors' poise to push forward after the skirmish.
“There were more reviews, every game has been physical and there have been moments,” he said. “You expect two teams to not like each other at this point. ... You don’t want the antics to distract from the game.”
There was already bad blood between the teams. Jimmy Butler returned after missing Game 3 because of a pelvic contusion suffered in Game 2 on Wednesday on a hard foul by Thompson.
Butler tried to secure a rebound when Thompson undercut him and sent the Warriors star’s feet high into the air so that he came down straight onto his tailbone. Both players thudded to the floor and Butler grimaced in pain, grabbing at his backside. He stayed in briefly to shoot two free throws before going to the locker room.
On Friday, Brooks defended Thompson and called Green a “dirty” player.
“Dillon said that? Interesting," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
And while with Memphis three years ago, Brooks’ Flagrant 2 foul on Gary Payton II during Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals of the Warriors’ championship run in 2022 fractured Payton’s elbow. He returned for Game 2 of Golden State’s six-game NBA Finals victory over Boston.
Payton made an open-court foul against Brooks during Game 3 and when asked about it afterward, he said with a smile, “I didn’t see it.”
And when Butler was asked about his feelings for Brooks and if it resembled a playground rivalry out there, he didn't mince words.
“No, we’re not having fun. Give me this, I don’t like Dillon Brooks,” he said. “We’re never having fun. I’m a fierce competitor. He’s a fierce competitor. There ain’t nothing fun about that.”
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Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) talks to referee Bill Kennedy during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors' Brandin Podziemski, left, passes the ball to Buddy Hield after grabbing it during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets in San Francisco, Monday, April 28, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Golden State Warriors' Quentin Post scuffles with Houston Rockets' Jabari Smith, Jr. and Dillon Brooks in the second quarter of an NBA Playoffs' First Round Game 4 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, April 28, 2025.(Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry drives to the basket against Houston Rockets' Fred VanVleet in the first half of an NBA Playoffs' First Round Game 4 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, April 28, 2025.(Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Golden State Warriors' Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield team up to control loose ball against Houston Rockets' Alperen Sengun in the first half of an NBA Playoffs' First Round Game 4 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, April 28, 2025.(Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Referees and players try to break up the scrum as a fight broke out in the second quarter as the Golden State Warriors played the Houston Rockets during an NBA Playoffs' First Round Game 4 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, April 28, 2025.(Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Houston Rockets' Dillon Brooks gets in a shoving match with Golden State Warriors players during the first half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in San Francisco, on Monday, April 28, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, center, watches Draymond Green scuffle with Houston Rockets' Dillon Brooks in the second quarter of an NBA Playoffs' First Round Game 4 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, April 28, 2025.(Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
From left, Golden State Warriors guards Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski compete for possession of the ball with Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green tangles with Houston Rockets' Tari Eason during the first half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in San Francisco, on Monday, April 28, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
