SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Jimmy Butler converted three free throws with 58.7 seconds left, grabbed the game-clinching rebound with 4 seconds to go and then made two more free throws on the way to 27 points in his return from a pelvic injury, sending the Golden State Warriors past the Houston Rockets 109-106 on Monday night in a heated Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Fred VanVleet missed a 3-pointer under pressure at the buzzer.

The teams return to Houston for Game 5 in the best-of-seven series on Wednesday night as seventh-seeded Golden State tries to close out the No. 2 seed Rockets on their home floor.

Brandin Podziemski scored 26 points, Stephen Curry finished with 17 in the frantic finish and Buddy Hield hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:32 left and scored 15 after joining the starting lineup.

Alperen Sengun scored with 40 seconds left for Houston to make it a one-point game. He had 31 points and 10 rebounds, while VanVleet hit a tying 3-pointer with 1:20 to play and scored 25 points.

Butler was back after sitting out Game 3 with a pelvic contusion and deep gluteal muscle bruise suffered on a hard fall when he was fouled by Amen Thompson early in Game 2.

The second quarter Monday featured four technical fouls and a flagrant 1 in two separate tussles , including shoving during one sequence involving Curry, Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks.

With the game tied at 36, Curry dribbled down the sideline when Green put a hard screen on Houstons Amen Thompson. Brooks fouled Curry and he appeared to become angry about the push before going at Curry and Green.

Curry received a technical for taunting Brooks, who also received a technical along with Green. Warriors rookie Quinten Post and Houstons Jabari Smith Jr. flailed their arms at each other but avoided technicals upon replay review by the officials.

Then with 2:44 left in the quarter, tempers flared again. Green received a Flagrant 1 foul for pushing Tari Easons face to the ground and Eason also received a technical. Green was dribbling when Eason went for a steal and the ball got loose and both players hit the floor trying to corral it. Greens left leg was on the Rockets forwards neck.

Butler shot 7 for 12 in 40 minutes after he watched Curry overcome a slow start to finish with 36 points , nine assists and seven rebounds in Golden States 104-93 victory Saturday night without him.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

旧金山（美联社）——吉米·巴特勒在比赛还剩58.7秒时罚球命中三球，在比赛还剩4秒时抢下决定性篮板，并在之后再次罚球命中两球，以27分的成绩从骨盆伤势中复出，帮助金州勇士队在周一晚上以109-106击败休斯顿火箭队，在首轮季后赛系列赛中以3-1领先。

在终场哨声响起时，Fred VanVleet在压力下投失了一个三分球。

周三晚，两队将重返休斯顿，进行七场四胜赛制的第五场比赛。作为第七号种子的金州勇士队试图在主场结束对第二号种子火箭队的比赛。

布兰登·波兹姆斯基（Brandin Podziemski）得到26分，斯蒂芬·库里（Stephen Curry）在比赛最后阶段以17分结束，布迪·希尔德（Buddy Hield）在比赛还剩3分32秒时投中一记关键的三分球，并在加入首发阵容后得到15分。

在比赛还剩40秒时，阿尔佩伦·森贡（Alperen Sengun）为休斯顿队取得了一分，将比分追至仅差一分。他全场得到31分和10个篮板，而范弗利特（VanVleet）在比赛还剩1分20秒时命中一记追平的三分球，全场得到25分。

巴特勒在因骨盆挫伤和臀部深部肌肉擦伤而缺席了第三场比赛后，终于在第二场比赛早些时候被阿门·汤普森犯规后的一次硬摔中重返赛场。

周一的第二季度，两场比赛中出现了四次技术犯规和一次一级恶意犯规，其中包括在涉及库里（Curry）、格林（Draymond Green）和布鲁克斯（Dillon Brooks）的一场争执中发生的推搡。

比赛以36比36打平，当格林对休斯顿的阿门·汤普森进行强硬掩护时，库里在边线处运球。布鲁克斯对库里犯规，他似乎对这次推挤感到愤怒，然后冲向库里和格林。

库里因“挑衅”布鲁克斯而吃到技术犯规，布鲁克斯和格林也各领一次技术犯规。勇士队的新秀昆顿·波斯特（Quinten Post）和休斯顿队的贾巴里·史密斯（Jabari Smith Jr.）互相挥舞着手臂，但经过裁判的回放审查后均未被判技术犯规。

比赛还剩2分44秒时，再次爆发了冲突。格林因推搡塔里·伊森的脸部导致其倒地被判技术犯规1级，伊森也吃到一次技术犯规。格林在控球时，伊森试图抢断，球被抢走，两人都摔倒在地试图争夺球权。此时，格林的左腿压在了火箭队前锋的脖子上。

在库里（Curry）在周六晚上金州勇士队以104-93获胜的比赛中克服了慢热状态，最终得到36分、9次助攻和7个篮板后，巴特勒（Butler）在40分钟内投中了7个球。

美联社NBA新闻： [https://apnews.com/NBA]