Warriors will have to do it the hard way, make another trip to Houston after Rockets even series

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors went cold for an extended stretch of the fourth quarter, and now they're going to have to do this the hard way.

They're headed back to Houston for a deciding Game 7 in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, needing another trip to Texas to try to extend their season after a missed opportunity at home in a 115-107 loss that evened the series with the Rockets at three games apiece.

“I like our chances. I’ve seen what this group can do over the years. We’ve been in a lot of Game 7s, I believe, had a lot of success,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Jimmy Butler is Jimmy Butler. He’s been in all of these games. He’s one of the clutch performers in the league, so we’ll get ready. We’ll regroup, be ready to roll.”

Golden State's shooters went cold for most of the fourth quarter, giving them little chance down the stretch against Fred VanVleet and second-seeded Houston.

The Warriors missed 13 straight shots between Draymond Green’s basket at the 10:12 mark of the fourth quarter and a 3-pointer by Curry with 3:35 left.

“We’ll be fine, we’ve just got to continue to make the right play, time after time after time,” Butler said. “... We’ve got to stop focusing so much on them and focus on us. If we do that then we're going to be fine. We're not going to sit here and act like we've been playing our best version of basketball 'cause we haven't. And they've been doing OK but they haven't played their best version of basketball either.”

They led the best-of-seven series 3-1 and wanted nothing more than to clinch this at home in Chase Center on Friday night, but instead they get another flight.

Game 7 is on Sunday for a spot in the second round against Minnesota.

“We've kind of found a formula here in the latter part of the season and we stayed with that formula to start the series up 3-1, things are going well and then obviously the last two games have gone very poorly,” Kerr said. “We have to assess everything and lineup combinations, starters, all of that we have to assess and we feel we've got a great chance to go down there and win Game 7."

“A possession here, a possession there, it's not just the points on the board, it's a feeling, it's a vibe, it's a morale, it's momentum,” Curry said. “You've got to dig deep to win these type of games. Thankfully we have an opportunity to go do it. Very confident that we can go do it.”

Curry scored 29 points but shot 9 of 23, going 6 for 16 from deep. Butler added 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as the Warriors dropped to 27-11 since his debut on Feb. 8 following his trade from Miami.

Golden State has played its share of Game 7s — with Curry and Green winning four championships together.

“You have to make shots at the end of the day,” Curry said, later adding, “Winning is hard and sustaining it is hard. ... If you want to win at the highest level you have to embrace the hard.”

Butler is most concerned about the hustle plays, the effort to crash the boards and chase down loose balls.

“We've got to get these 50-50 balls, we've got to rebound better," Butler said. “That's been the story this entire series. They've gotten the loose balls and they've gotten way too many offensive rebounds.”

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Golden State Warriors' Moses Moody, second from left, and Quinten Post, right, defend against Houston Rockets' Fred VanVleet (5) in the second quarter of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, May 2, 2025, in San Francisco. A foul was called on the Warriors on the play. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) drives against Houston Rockets' Jalen Green (4) in the second quarter of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, May 2, 2025, in San Francisco. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Warriors' Moses Moody (4) watches his successful 3-point basket against the Houston Rockets in the second quarter of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, May 2, 2025, in San Francisco. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) is fouled by Houston Rockets' Dillon Brooks, top left, before making a basket in the second quarter of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, May 2, 2025, in San Francisco. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson, right, is blocked by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in the second quarter of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, May 2, 2025, in San Francisco. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Warriors' Brandin Podziemskli (2) and Moses Moody (4) defend against Houston Rockets' Dillon Brooks (9) in the first quarter of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, May 2, 2025, in San Francisco. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green, right, cannot stop Houston Rockets' Alperen Sengun, left, from scoring in the first quarter of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, May 2, 2025, in San Francisco. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) passes the ball while guarded by Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) in the second quarter of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, May 2, 2025, in San Francisco. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) is fouled by Houston Rockets' Fred VanVleet, right, in the first quarter of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, May 2, 2025, in San Francisco. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a New Year's Eve proclamation delaying increased tariffs on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities for a year, citing ongoing trade talks.

Trump's order signed Wednesday keeps in place a 25% tariff he imposed in September on those goods, but delays for another year a 30% tariff on upholstered furniture and 50% tariff on kitchen cabinets and vanities.

The increases, which were set to take effect Jan. 1, come as the Republican president instituted a broad swath of taxes on imported goods to address trade imbalances and other issues.

The president has said the tariffs on furniture are needed to “bolster American industry and protect national security.”

The delay is the latest in the roller coaster of Trump's tariff wars since he returned to office last year, with the president announcing levies at times without warning and then delaying or pulling back from them just as abruptly.

The Trump administration on Wednesday also signaled it may back away from a steep tariff proposed on Italian pasta that would have put the rate at 107%. The U.S. had threatened to add a heavy tariff on Italian pasta makers after the U.S. Commerce Department launched what it said was a routine antidumping review based on allegations that the pasta makers sold product into the US at below-market prices and undercut local competitors.

A final decision on the sanctions was scheduled for Jan. 2, with the option of extending it.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday that based on a new review, the rates would be lowered to between 2.26% and 13.89% for the pasta makers because they had addressed many of the department's concerns. A final decision is now set for March 12.

Italian farm lobby Coldiretti and another food industry association, Filiera Italia, welcomed the development. The two lobby groups had strongly objected to the original tariffs and urged the Italian government to intervene.

The two associations said the original proposed tariffs would have doubled the cost of a plate of pasta for American families, “opening the door to Italian-sounding products and penalizing the authentic quality of Made in Italy.”

They reported that in 2024, Italian pasta exports to the U.S. amounted to €671 million ($787 million).

“Coldiretti and Filiera Italia will continue to defend our premium pasta exported to the U.S. market, which we have also supported with a strong campaign in the international media,” the associations said in a statement.

Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump speaks at a New Year's Eve celebration at his Mar-a-Lago club, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)