SAN FRANCISCO – After two highly physical and chippy games, the Warriors’ tension with the Rockets bubbled over in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series.
With seven minutes left in the second quarter, Draymond Green set a hard screen on Amen Thompson, throwing an elbow.
Steph Curry, the ballhandler, was then knocked to the floor by Brooks, and Brooks proceeded to try to grab the ball from Curry as Green tried to help his teammate up.
A scrum ensued.
Curry, Green and Brooks were all assessed technical fouls.
The fireworks were far from over.
With 2:44 left in the second quarter and the Rockets leading 47-46, Draymond Green fell on Tari Eason, putting his legs on Eason’s head/back area.
Eason took offense, standing over Green. The Warriors forward then grabbed onto Eason as he tried to get up. Another scrum followed, which earned Green a flagrant – not an ejection – and Eason a technical foul.
The animosity had been building on both sides for quite some time.
During the final regular-season game between the teams, Green was called for technical and flagrant fouls for striking Alperen Sengun twice, and Rockets coach Ime Udoka was seen screaming at Curry as the teams walked off the court at halftime.
After a relatively low-key 95-85 Game 1 Golden State victory in Houston, the second game was far more contentious.
There were three technical fouls given to each team, plus one flagrant foul on Jalen Green when he struck Draymond Green in the face, during Game 2. There was also a scuffle at midcourt during the fourth quarter, which saw Rockets forward Tari Eason throw a towel at Warriors reserve Pat Spencer.
Warriors star Jimmy Butler was knocked out of the game with a pelvic contusion after he was undercut in midair by Rockets defender Amen Thompson while grabbing a rebound.
Thompson stumbled into the fray after squeezing between Draymond Green and Rockets center Steven Adams under the rim, and after the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he did not believe there was any malicious intent behind the play.
That did not stop Brooks from weighing in on online discourse that Thompson’s play was dirty, countering by calling Green a dirty player on Friday.
Green was showered with obscene three-word chants during Game 2.
Both Green and Brooks have reasons to be disliked by the other team. As a member of the Grizzlies, Brooks fractured Gary Payton II’s elbow during the 2022 playoffs. And Green kicked Adams in the groin during the 2016 Western Conference finals, just one of several postseason incidents that have earned Green suspensions and fines.
Originally Published: April 28, 2025 at 8:10 PM PDT
