Early in the fourth quarter when the Warriors were down 77-74, Curry crossed up Brooks and launched a three-pointer. After Curry released the shot, Brooks, who was right up in Curry's grill, seemed to swipe at his bandaged right hand (Curry has been dealing with thumb injury since January).

Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (25) grabs a rebound as Stephen Curry, third from left, boxes out Houston Rockets’ Dillon Brooks (9) during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Houston, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

The play in question happened in Game 2. Butler went up for a defensive rebound after Thompson missed a shot. However, Thompson, who was nudged by Green as he rushed for an offensive board, ended up taking out Butler's legs. Both players stayed down for a moment before Butler left the game for good.