April 29 (UPI) -- Jimmy Butler returned from a one-game injury absence, scoring 23 of his 27 points in the second half of a Golden State Warriors win over the Houston Rockets for a 3-1 playoff series lead.
Butler, who sustained a pelvic injury in Game 2, made 7 of 12 shots and all 12 of his free throw attempts in the 109-106 victory Monday in San Francisco.
"I woke up and I was good enough, so I was able to go out there and compete," Butler, who scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, told reporters.
"I'm not going to say I'm not hurting, but it's a good pain whenever it is all toward winning."
The Warriors were outshot 49.4% to 41.9%, but made 17 3-pointers and 20 of 22 free throw attempts. The Rockets hit 11 3-pointers and just 19 of 31 free throw attempts. The Warriors also edged their foes 27-18 in assists and logged just eight turnovers.
The chippy Game 4 clash featured four technical fouls, 11 lead changes and was tied 10 times. Brandin Podziemski made six 3-pointers en route to 26 points. Fellow Warriors guard Stephen Curry chipped in 17 points.
"Everybody contributed to a level that we needed and that's the playoffs," Curry said. "Every game has a different identity and a different feel. It's hard to predict how it's going to look, but you have to have five guys on the floor ready for their moment."
Rockets center Alperen Sengun, who scored a game-high 31 points, scored the first basket of the night 20 seconds after the tip-off. The Warriors proceeded to go on a 13-0 surge. The Rockets, who trailed 28-26 after 12 minutes, started a 13-3 run toward the end of the first quarter and carried it into the second to regain the lead 9:19 before halftime.
The lead would change hands six more times in the second quarter. The Rockets led 57-50 at the break. Podziemski led all scorers with 13 points through the first two quarters. Rockets guard Fred VanVleet netted a dozen-first half points, including nine in the second quarter.
The Warriors made just 9 of 26 shots in the first quarter, including 4 of 15 3-pointers. They hit just 38.1% of their first-half shots, compared to the Rockets' 54.1% clip.
They responded by scoring 18 of the first 19 points of the third quarter for a 68-58 edge. The Rockets rallied to close the gap, but still trailed 82-80 to start the fourth. Guard Buddy Hield scored 10 points in the third quarter, when the Warriors held a 32-23 scoring edge.
The Rockets held the lead for the majority of the fourth quarter, which featured just two lead changes. Sengun hit two free throws for a 92-90 edge with 7:51 remaining. The Rockets led 101-97 about 3:30 later.
Butler proceeded to score 11 of the Warriors' final 14 points to help seal the victory. He cut the deficit to two with a layup with 3:58 remaining. Curry assisted a Hield 3-pointer on the next possession for a 102-101 advantage and the Warriors never trailed again.
VanVleet tightened the game with a game-tying 3-pointer with 1:20 remaining, but Butler sank three free throws about 20 seconds later for a 107-104 Warriors lead. Sengun hit another shot to cut the deficit to one with 41 seconds remaining. Butler kept the Warriors ahead with another two free throws before VanVleet came up short on a game-tying 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
VanVleet made 8 of 13 shots, including an 8 of 12 clip from 3-point range, en route to 25 points. Sengun chipped in 10 rebounds and five assists, in addition to his game-high point total. Rockets forward Amen Thompson totaled 17 points and nine rebounds.
The Warriors (3-1) will battle the Rockets (1-3) in Game 5 at 7:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Houston.
