Stephen Curry lauded Jimmy Butler’s impact following the Golden State Warriors’ 95-85 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday.
Curry, who led all scorers with 31 points, credited Butler’s versatility and poise under pressure in a postgame interview.
“He’s carried teams to the finals,” Curry said. “And the idea of what he brings to us is another guy that’s just comfortable with the ball in his hands to create for himself and for others, no matter what the situation is.”
Butler, acquired midseason from the Miami Heat, delivered 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and five steals in his Warriors playoff debut.
Golden State built a 23-point cushion in the third quarter but had to weather a late Rockets rally to secure the win.
Timely three-pointers from Curry and Moses Moody helped the seventh-seeded Warriors hold off the second-seeded Rockets, who were making their first postseason appearance since 2020.
“He is a legitimate ball handler,” Curry added. “We’ve had really good chemistry since he’s been here.”
Houston cut the deficit to four with just over five minutes remaining, but Curry’s deep three extended the lead back to seven.
Moody followed with a corner triple after Fred VanVleet pulled Houston within four again at the 2:32 mark.
Brandin Podziemski contributed 14 points, eight boards and five assists as Golden State overcame a 52-36 rebounding disadvantage.
Alperen Sengun was Houston’s standout, posting 26 points and nine rebounds in his playoff debut.
VanVleet and Jalen Green combined to shoot 7-for-34 as the Rockets went 6-of-29 from three-point range.
The Warriors shot 47.4% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc, while Houston struggled at 39.1% and 20.7%, respectively.
Steve Kerr earned his 100th playoff victory, tying Larry Brown for sixth in NBA history.
Draymond Green chipped in with six rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Gary Payton II and Moody added valuable bench production.
Game 2 will take place Wednesday night in Houston as Golden State looks to take a 2-0 lead.
