In a game that wound up being decided by three points, just about every individual possession was crucial. And each bucket Podziemski, Hield or even Quinten Post (who added two triples of his own) hit felt like momentum shifters (or intensifiers).

Buddy Hield gave the Warriors a 102-101 lead on a sidestep 3-pointer with 3:18 left in the fourth quarter, the hosts first advantage in six minutes. Butler pushed it to a three-point advantage with a tough layup over two defenders a minute later.

Through four playoff games, the Houston Rockets rank last in the NBA in free-throw shooting. The misses are adding up in losses to the Golden State Warriors.