The Golden State Warriors were hoping to take a 3-1 series lead Monday night against the Houston Rockets. Instead, Game 4 has turned into a technical foul fiesta, a scuffle showcase, and a halftime nightmare, with Houston leading 57-50 at the break. And if the first half was any indication, the second half might need a few referees in football pads.

Golden State came into Monday feeling good after a gutsy Game 3 win without Jimmy Butler, but Game 4 has been anything but smooth sailing. Instead, it’s been full of flying elbows, shoves, flagrant fouls, and more drama than a reality TV reunion episode.

It all started — naturally — with Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks. With seven minutes left in the second quarter and the game still neck and neck, Steph Curry drew a foul from Brooks. Easy enough, right? Wrong.

Instead of just walking away, Brooks tried to snatch the ball from Curry’s hands, leading to a shoving match. Of course, Draymond Green ran into the frame like a WWE wrestler coming off the top rope, stepping in to protect Stephen Curry. The result? Technical foul on Green. Technical foul on Brooks. And somehow, a technical foul on Curry, too — for flashing Brooks a “two” gesture with his fingers to remind him how many fouls he’d picked up. (Petty? Yes. Entertaining? Absolutely.)

NBA legend Reggie Miller pointed the finger directly at Stephen Curry for starting it all “ listen you could say that Curry is the one who started it by holding up the two fingers to Dylan Brooks you can make it you can make a case that’s why Dylan Brooks reacted if Curry doesn’t do that then Dylan Brooks maybe doesn’t swipe at the ball.” He said.

The cherry on top? Jalen Green missed the technical free throw, meaning the entire disaster show led to zero points. Iconic. The fireworks didn’t stop there. Only four minutes later, Draymond Green found himself — shocker — in the middle of another chaotic scrum.

Rockets forward Tari Eason appeared to steal the ball from Green, leading to a mad scramble. Both players hit the floor, but Green didn’t just dive — he basically performed a wrestling move, landing with his legs on Eason’s head and grabbing his jersey.

After a critical review, the refs gave Draymond a Flagrant 1 foul and Eason a technical for standing over Green afterward. If the refs had ruled it a technical on Green instead of a flagrant, he would’ve been ejected. Instead, Green lives to wreak havoc another half.

This was just the latest chapter in a series that’s seen Green vs. Rockets players become a personal side quest. In Game 2, he struck Alperen Sengun in the face twice and had both technical and flagrant fouls, while Rockets coach Ime Udoka was seen shouting at Curry on the way into the locker room.

Rockets Thrive in the Chaos (For Now)

Through all the madness, it’s the Rockets who are thriving heading into halftime. Despite a chaotic pace and constant interruptions, Houston leads 57-50 behind a balanced team effort. Fred VanVleet is having a sharp shooting night, hitting 4-of-5 shots (including 4-of-5 from three!) for 12 points. Dillon Brooks — yes, THAT Dillon Brooks — has 11 points on a hyper-efficient 4-of-6 shooting.

Amen Thompson has added 8 points and a bit of edge, not backing down from the Warriors’ physicality. Alperen Sengun is battling inside with 10 points and 6 rebounds, showing why he’s such a key piece for Houston. Even Jalen Green, despite some turnovers, is making his presence felt with his athleticism and shot-making.

Meanwhile, the Warriors’ offense feels rattled. Stephen  Curry has had flashes but also had to briefly go back to the locker room after the first scuffle, though he later returned. Jimmy Butler — back from injury — has been relatively quiet in the first half. The Rockets’ physicality, plus the emotional chaos, seem to be disrupting Golden State’s normally crisp ball movement.

Honestly, this kind of chaos didn’t come out of nowhere.  Three technical fouls per team. A flagrant foul on Jalen Green for smacking Draymond Green in the face. Tari Eason throwing a towel at Warriors reserve Pat Spencer.

By Game 3, things were still chippy even without Butler. Now, with both teams sensing how important Game 4 is, tensions have exploded. Every possession feels like it could either end in a highlight dunk… or a near brawl.

At halftime, the Rockets are clinging to a seven-point lead — but with this much chaos, a seven-point lead might as well be a two-point lead.

The Warriors have to walk a tightrope: they can’t afford another technical from Green or Stephen Curry, or else they’ll be playing the second half without one of their emotional leaders. Meanwhile, the Rockets are thriving by poking the bear (or, in Green’s case, grabbing the bear by the jersey and sitting on his head).

In a series that has quickly turned into the NBA’s version of a bar fight, Game 4’s second half promises more drama, more technicals, and maybe, just maybe, some actual basketball too.

Stay tuned. It’s only halftime, and somehow, the fireworks are just getting started.