Stephen Curry, Warriors step up without Jimmy Butler in Game 3 - ESPN

SAN FRANCISCO — Draymond Green got a steal and threw the ball ahead to a streaking Gary Payton II, who threw down a reverse dunk to put the finishing touches on Game 3 against the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

Jimmy Butler stood and clapped in approval as Chase Center roared. Without Butler, the Golden State Warriors delivered perhaps their gutsiest performance of the season in a 104-93 win to take a 2-1 lead in a best-of-seven series on Saturday.

«We had Jimmy's back while he was out,» said Payton, who came off the bench and scored 16 points. «Hopefully we get Jimmy back for Game 4, and we get back to our regular scheduled program.»

The drama entering Game 3 was whether Butler would be able to play following a nasty fall he took in the first quarter of Wednesday's Game 2 that resulted in a pelvic and deep gluteal muscle contusion. Butler was ruled out before the game, giving the star two more days to heal before Game 4 on Monday. Head coach Steve Kerr said Butler is day-to-day.

Without Butler, the Warriors altered their lineup, starting Jonathan Kuminga and Quinten Post. Houston jumped out to a 13-point lead in the second quarter as Golden State struggled to score.

But Stephen Curry, playing against Houston's physical defense and double teams, got more aggressive and scored 25 of his 36 points over the second and third quarters. Curry hit 9-of-13 shots in that stretch to help Golden State go into the fourth down 71-69.

«He's Steph Curry,» Kerr said. «He's one much greatest players of all time. He's 37. He's one of the most well-conditioned athletes I've ever seen in my life. To play 41 minutes against that kind of defense, to have a slow start and then find his rhythm, which we have seen him do countless times over