During the second quarter of the Warriors’ 109-106 victory over the Rockets, tensions flared when Stephen Curry and Dillon Brooks clashed in a heated exchange that led to technical fouls for both players—and Draymond Green. After switching onto Curry, Brooks delivered a hard bump that sent the Warriors guard crashing to the floor. As Curry rose, Brooks tried to provoke him by ripping the ball from his hands, but Curry wasn’t about to back down. He responded with a firm shove, refusing to be intimidated.
After the game, Curry reflected on the incident, saying, “That was so stupid because he had did it literally the play before, and I just returned the favor. But they didn’t see him. They saw me. It’s like siblings — the second ones will get in trouble.”
“That was so stupid because he had did it literally the play before, and I just returned the favor. But they didn't see him. They saw me. It's like siblings — the second ones will get in trouble.”
Steph Curry on his dustup with Dillon Brooks 👀 pic.twitter.com/IUTMUCHraX
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 29, 2025
Before the scuffle broke out, Curry flashed a “two” with his fingers, signaling to Brooks how many fouls he had picked up. That gesture may have pushed the Rockets wing over the edge, sparking the exchange that led to double technicals. But moments earlier, Brooks had kicked things off by reminding Curry he only had one foul — likely to let the Warriors guard know he still had room to get physical.
Stephen Curry and the Warriors handling business at home against the Rockets
Ultimately, Curry and the Warriors came out on top. They grabbed a 3-1 advantage in the series, putting themselves on the brink of a second-round berth — a satisfying payoff after enduring a gritty, hard-nosed challenge from a Rockets team doing everything it could to disrupt them.
Curry has been putting up an average of 26 points through the first four games of the series, shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the arc.
Jimmy Butler’s comeback fueled the Warriors’ win, dropping 27 points and knocking down five pressure-packed free throws in the closing minute. He sealed the win by grabbing the decisive rebound with four seconds to go. While Stephen Curry couldn’t find his rhythm from deep, he still chipped in 17 points and steered Golden State through crunch time.
Brandin Podziemski made a big impact as well, pouring in 26 points and hitting six threes to keep the Warriors in control. On the other side, Alperen Sengun delivered a strong performance with 31 points and 10 rebounds, but his effort wasn’t enough to bring the Rockets back.
As tensions escalated between Curry and Brooks, the physicality on display mirrored the high stakes of this playoff series. Golden State now travels to Houston with an opportunity to wrap up the series in Game 5 on Wednesday. A win would send the Warriors past the No. 2 seeded Rockets, eliminating them from the playoffs.
