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The Houston Rockets leveled their first-round playoff series on Wednesday night with a 109-94 win over the Golden State Warriors. A controversial play involving Stephen Curry sparked concern across the league and fueled conversations about player safety.
During a crucial third-quarter possession, Stephen Curry found himself swarmed by Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green. As Curry fought to keep his dribble alive, Green wrapped his arms around Curry's hips, pulling him down. Both players crashed to the floor, with Green eventually ripping the ball away. Despite the obvious contact in plain view of the official, no foul was called. The no-call infuriated fans and drew sharp criticism from analysts questioning the consistency of the officiating.
The exact play made its way into a video compilation shared on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting several moments where Curry was physically overwhelmed by the Rockets. The clip fueled outrage among fans who felt Curry was being targeted without consequence.
I just want to watch my favorite player play basketball man, what the hell is this pic.twitter.com/IIP1DPkWzD
— . (@30Burner_) April 24, 2025
It’s particularly alarming given Curry’s string of recent injuries. Just last month, he took a hit that caused a pelvic contusion—nearly the same spot where Jalen Green dragged him down. Curry has also pushed through ankle sprains, a thumb sprain, and persistent knee tendinitis throughout the season. Even with protective gear in place, rough plays like that directly threaten his health and availability.
Loose officiating in the Warriors-Rockets series
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka even noticed the referees’ approach during the game, telling his players, “Don’t worry, they’re not gonna call anything.”
The incident took the spotlight away from what should've been Jalen Green’s true breakout performance. The Rockets star fired with a franchise playoff record eight 3-pointers and 38 points, a massive turnaround from his 3-for-15 shooting in Game 1. He also chipped in six assists, four rebounds, and three steals, fueling a Rockets offense that came out firing and never eased up.
Curry scored 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting and went 4-for-4 at the line, but he turned the ball over six times and couldn’t get the offense going. Moody added 12 points in 24 minutes off the bench, hitting 3-of-6 from deep and recording two rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Still, the Warriors trailed by double digits for most of the game and couldn’t keep up with Houston’s pace.
To add to the Warriors woes, Jimmy Butler suffered an early exit after a nasty fall in the final minutes of the first quarter. As Amen Thompson chased down a rebound off his own missed shot, he lost his balance after a physical box-out from Draymond Green. Thompson tumbled into Butler, who was mid-air attempting to grab the board. The collision sent Butler crashing to the floor, landing awkwardly on his tailbone and absorbing the full force of the fall. It was a frightening moment.
The Warriors’ defeat to the Rockets was driven by poor shooting, sloppy turnovers, and, notably, questionable officiating. The missed calls, particularly on Stephen Curry, not only hurt the Warriors but also put their star player in harm’s way.
