The Golden State Warriors took care of business in Game 3 in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs with a 104-93 win over the Houston Rockets. Despite the absence of star forward Jimmy Butler, the Warriors still got the best of the third-seed team of the Western Conference. Stephen Curry led the way with 36 points and 52.2 percent shooting from the field.
With Curry’s high-scoring performance, the Warriors star made history by securing the 10th spot in the all-time playoff scoring list. The two-time MVP now has 4,047 points in the postseason. The next player for the star point guard to surpass is NBA legend and former Warriors’ executive Jerry West. The Logo is ninth in the list with 4,457 points.
Aside from scoring, Curry also had seven rebounds and nine assists.
After the win, Butler paid homage to his teammates and called out Curry. He posted a photo of his teammate’s Under Armour logo in a Bat-Signal. This referred to his earlier comments about the former Davidson star being likened to the fictional DC Comics superhero, Batman.
Butler also trolled Buddy Hield on his Instagram post.
“thanks batman and team. excluding buddy,” Butler posted.
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Steph Curry on the Jimmy Butler IG post: “Elite”
Is he embracing the Batman moniker Butler is pushing?
“You can call it whatever you want to call it. I know I need to play at a high level to win.” pic.twitter.com/R3uyOSPjC5
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 27, 2025
Hield also referred to himself as Alfred after the victory.
Gary Payton II was the x-factor for the Golden State Warriors
While Curry’s masterful 36-point outing was the main attention for the Golden State Warriors, it was Gary Payton II who was the x-factor for the team. He finished with 16 points off the bench and shot a highly efficient 77.8 percent on the floor.
What’s more important was his outstanding fourth-quarter showing, which pushed the Warriors’ lead late in the game. Payton had 11 points in the final period and didn’t miss a single shot. He also attempted a 3-pointer, an area on the floor where he’s usually unreliable.
Gary Payton II playoff career-high 16 PTS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QP3eAnMkzt
— Real Sports (@realapp_) April 27, 2025
The son of former NBA star Gary Payton is usually known for his elite defense. However, he took over the show in Butler’s absence and took high-percentage shots inside.
Game 4 will be at Chase Center on Monday, and the Golden State Warriors are looking to push the series lead to 3-1.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
