But Houston cannot afford to let bench players Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield make major impacts. Payton finished with a postseason career-high 16 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, and Hield was 5-for-11 on 3-point attempts to help finish with 17 points in 29 minutes.

SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry is all for physical playoff basketball and having to earn every shot, even if he is the one taking the brunt of it, with the Houston Rockets swarming the Golden State star and doing all they can trying to slow him down.