Jimmy Butler returns from injury absence to lead Warriors past Rockets 109-106 for 3-1 series lead

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) confronts Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, center, watches Draymond Green scuffle with Houston Rockets’ Dillon Brooks in the second quarter of an NBA Playoffs’ First Round Game 4 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, April 28, 2025.(Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

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Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason, left, and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) fight during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Golden State Warriors’ Quentin Post scuffles with Houston Rockets’ Jabari Smith, Jr. and Dillon Brooks in the second quarter of an NBA Playoffs’ First Round Game 4 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, April 28, 2025.(Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, right, confronts Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Referees and players try to break up the scrum as a fight broke out in the second quarter as the Golden State Warriors played the Houston Rockets during an NBA Playoffs’ First Round Game 4 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday, April 28, 2025.(Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

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Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) talks to referee Bill Kennedy during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green walks to the bench during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun reacts during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Houston Rockets’ Dillon Brooks gets in a shoving match with Golden State Warriors players during the first half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in San Francisco, on Monday, April 28, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

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Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green tangles with Houston Rockets’ Tari Eason during the first half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in San Francisco, on Monday, April 28, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

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Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody, right, moves the ball while defended by Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) falls after colliding with Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks, second from left, during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks, left, collide with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Golden State Warriors center Quinten Post (21) shoots a 3-point basket next to Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

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Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield (7) moves the ball while defended by Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Monday, April 28, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

By JANIE McCAULEY

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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.

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Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell, back, tries to knock the ball away from Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus, front, during the first half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rhona Wise)

Cavs win by 55 points to sweep Heat and finish off most lopsided series in NBA playoff history

Rockets, Warriors get into shoving altercation in 2nd quarter of heated Game 4

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, center, and the Heat coaching staff sit in the bench during the second half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rhona Wise)

Heat see the season end in emphatic fashion, a 55-point loss to Cleveland

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 Houston’s 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 Houston’s 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 Eason’s 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. Green’s left leg was on the Rockets forward’s 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 State’s 104-93 victory Saturday night without him.

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