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[Saba Sports News] The Houston Rockets made life miserable for Stephen Curry on Sunday night—but if you ask Jimmy Butler, they had some help from the refs.
In a 106-96 win over the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center, the Rockets clamped down defensively, holding Curry to just 3 points on 1-of-10 shooting. But Butler wasn’t convinced it was all clean defense.
After the game, Butler was asked about how Houston managed to shut Curry down. With a smirk, he pointed to what he sees as a long-running issue: uncalled fouls.
“They did a good job… of whatever you want to call it,” Butler said. “I’ve never seen an individual get fouled more than he gets fouled. To me, I think that’s astounding. It’s crazy to say, but he’s used to it. It’s been happening to him his whole career. He’s found a way through it, around it, under it—whatever you want to call it.”
Butler made it clear that Curry’s treatment by officials has been a source of frustration for years.
“I’m pretty sure it’s been happening for 16 straight years,” he added. “It really angers me that he’s on my team and he gets hacked like that.”
Curry’s visible frustration during the game boiled over into a heated exchange with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka. Much of Houston’s defensive pressure came courtesy of rising star Amen Thompson, who shadowed Curry relentlessly throughout the night.
Despite the loss, the Warriors remain tied for 5th in the Western Conference, while the Rockets now sit in 2nd. With a potential playoff matchup looming, Butler may be trying to get ahead of the whistle before things get even more physical.
Curry entered the night scorching hot, having scored 125 points across his previous three games. But Sunday’s cold spell had fans—and the internet—cracking jokes about the future Hall of Famer.