The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets have played a highly physical first-round series. Monday night, it spilled over into a series of second-quarter altercations.
WARRIORS-ROCKETS GETTING CHIPPY
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 29, 2025
Steph, Dillon Brooks and Draymond get techs. pic.twitter.com/bh5cHSVodj
After a second quarter packed with personal fouls, technicals, flagrant fouls and interminable video reviews, the Rockets went into halftime with a 57-50 lead. Early in the quarter, Draymond Green set a hard screen on Amen Thompson, then Dillon Brooks fouled Stephen Curry. Curry held up two fingers to taunt Brooks about his second foul, then Brooks went to rip the ball away and players on both sides started pushing and shoving.
When the dust cleared, Curry and Brooks both got technical fouls, while Green also got a technical even though he appeared to be breaking up the fight. Consider it a lifetime achievement award for a career spent racking up technicals — Green had 15 this season, while Brooks had 18.
Reggie Miller: "Is that what they're giving Draymond Green a technical foul for?!...Come on, man... I think he was being more of a peacemaker, actually. I know his history... No, he's moving him out of the way!... I don't understand that with Draymond Green." #NBA #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/vp6fzJ37Mz
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 29, 2025
It didn't take long for another incident. Tari Eason stole the ball from Draymond Green, who fouled him and "accidentally" kicked Eason in the head.
Draymond vs. Tari Eason.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 29, 2025
pic.twitter.com/vHHkduCDPA
Eason got a technical, while Green got a flagrant foul, but was not ejected from the game. He did go into the locker room with four personal fouls, one technical foul and a flagrant, essentially a hat trick of bad behavior.
Ultimately it was a win for the Rockets, who seemed to rattle the Warriors, who committed eight turnovers in the quarter. Jimmy Butler, still limping slightly from his Game 2 injury, got in Brooks' face late in the quarter, but may have also been frustrated by scoring only four points.
Somehow, no one was ejected in the first half.
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