The Golden State Warriors are gearing up to host the Houston Rockets for Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night. With a 2-1 lead in hand, Stephen Curry and his squad will aim to seize a commanding 3-1 advantage before the series returns to Houston.
In Game 3, the Warriors pulled off a gritty win despite being without key contributor Jimmy Butler, who missed the game due to a deep glute muscle contusion. Butler’s availability for Game 4 remains uncertain, which could mean another heavy workload for Curry. The star guard rose to the occasion in the previous outing, dropping 36 points and logging over 40 minutes on the court.
However, Curry may need to stay particularly cautious in Game 4. A new video circulating on social media shows Rockets forward Dillon Brooks in a potentially controversial moment from Game 3. During the early stages of the fourth quarter, with the Warriors trailing 77-74, Curry dribbled past Brooks and launched a three-pointer. As Curry released the shot, Brooks—closely guarding him—appeared to swipe at Curry’s already bandaged right thumb, which has been a nagging issue since January.
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What raised eyebrows further was a second apparent swipe from Brooks at Curry’s thumb as he was landing. While the first motion could be viewed as part of a legitimate defensive contest, the second swipe has drawn criticism, with some calling it a deliberate attempt to aggravate Curry’s injury.
As the series intensifies, all eyes will be on Curry, both for his scoring and his ability to avoid further injury in what’s shaping up to be a physical and hard-fought battle.
