The Golden State Warriors have taken a 2-1 series lead over the Houston Rockets with a huge 104-93 win on Saturday night despite the absence of Jimmy Butler.

Stephen Curry put on a masterclass with 36 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, but it was the ability of Gary Payton II to take advantage of Curry's gravity down the stretch that allowed the Warriors to pull away in the fourth-quarter. Buddy Hield's 17-point performance also drew plenty of positives and negatives, while Quinten Post's career-high 12 rebounds is also a huge talking point despite shooting 1-of-7 from the floor.