If the NBA playoffs have made one thing clear so far, it’s that physicality has been the star of the show. Before the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors tipped off Game 4 in the Bay Area, 32 technical fouls had already been called on players in the first round. For context, there were 70 total player techs throughout all of last year’s playoffs.
Fast-forward to last night’s Game 4 between the second and seventh seeds in the West, and that number rose by three. Dillon Brooks, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green all received technical fouls at the 6:58 mark of the second quarter.
It started when Green collided with Rockets forward Amen Thompson. Moments later, Brooks took advantage of a chance to get even with Curry, knocking him to the ground. That escalated into a brief shoving match, with Brooks inserting himself between the two Warriors. Fortunately, it didn’t go any further.
Just under five minutes later — at the 2:45 mark — Green was isolated against Tari Eason when he lost control of the ball. While scrambling to recover it, Green tumbled over Eason, extended his leg onto Eason’s upper body, and then grabbed at his jersey. He was assessed a flagrant foul, but not ejected.
Understandably, the Rockets were furious. They believed Green should have been tossed earlier to avoid further tension. Despite accumulating three personal fouls, a technical, and a flagrant, NBA rules didn’t mandate an ejection.
Draymond Green managed to avoid getting kicked out
Green picked up his fifth foul with 8:06 left in the third quarter and didn’t return until the 7:51 mark in the fourth. Even without him, the Warriors maintained control, ending the third with an 82–80 lead.
In the fourth quarter, the refs allowed Green to play the only way he knows how: full throttle. His relentless defense and trademark agitation were on full display. And yes, it’s possible he got away with a few extra bumps and pushes — especially considering the game’s stakes.
In the playoffs, players are rarely ejected on their home floor, no matter how physical they get. Case in point: last year’s first-round series between the Knicks and 76ers, where Joel Embiid dragged Mitchell Robinson to the floor in plain view — yet stayed in the game.
The Rockets were justified in their frustration. Green’s track record of walking the line between aggressive and excessive continues to raise questions about his in-game behavior. And while every series has its own pulse, Green’s intent in Game 4 didn’t seem to be provoking conflict — it was controlling it. Unfortunately for Houston, they ran into a version of him that thrives in chaos.
“Consistency wins in this series, and we've talked about that from Day 1. We have to be more consistent across the board,” said Rockets head coach Ime Udoka.
The Rockets had a chance to steal the win — until Green’s game-saving defensive stop on Alperen Sengun forced a turnover that sealed their fate.
As the series heads back to Houston, the Warriors are one win away from advancing past the first round for the first time since 2023. The Rockets aren’t just playing for survival. They’re playing to prove that their 50-win season wasn’t a fluke.