Stephen Curry scores 31 points in the Warriors' 95-85 victory over the Rockets 95-85 in Game 1

HOUSTON (AP) — Draymond Green easily boiled down the key to Golden State's victory over the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series Sunday night.

“In order for us to win basketball games it requires Steph Curry to be great,” Green said. “And he was just that.”

Curry scored 31 points and the Warriors built a huge lead and held on to beat the Rockets 95-85.

Curry was 12 of 19 from the field, hitting 5 of 9 3-pointers. He wowed his teammates with a couple of circus shots that caused the bench to go wild.

Jimmy Butler added 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals in his playoff debut for the Warriors after joining them in a trade from Miami in February.

“(Curry) just made some amazing plays and obviously carried us offensively along with Jimmy,” coach Steve Kerr said.

The seventh-seeded Warriors led by 23 in the third quarter, but second-seeded Houston cut it to 69-60 entering the fourth.

A basket by Amen Thompson with about 5 1/2 minutes remaining got the Rockets within four. Curry hit his fifth 3-pointer of the night a few seconds later to make it 82-75.

The Rockets cut it to four again with about 2 1/2 minutes left on a 3 by Fred VanVleet. This time Moses Moody hit a 3-pointer to start a 7-0 run that made it 91-80 and sent fans streaming for the exits.

Game 2 of the best-of seven series is Wednesday night in Houston.

The Warriors got the win despite Houston having a 22-6 advantage on the offensive boards.

“I think we can play a lot better,” Green said. “That’s the encouraging part about it. I don’t think we played very well at all.”

It was the 100th career playoff coaching victory for Kerr, who moved into a tie with Larry Brown for sixth-most playoff wins.

“I’m lucky to coach the guys that I do,” Kerr said. “Players win games. It’s our job to try to help them along a little bit here and there.”

The Rockets, who returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, got 26 points from Alperen Sengun in his first career postseason game. But VanVleet and Jalen Green struggled, making just 7 of 34 shots.

“We just didn't execute,” VanVleet said. “Maybe the physicality was an issue, but I thought we matched that for the most part.”

VanVleet was 2 of 13 from 3-point range on a night Houston made just 6 of 29 3-pointers and was 11 for 20 on free throws.

The Warriors got a spot in the playoffs with a 121-116 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night in the Play-In Tournament.

They got yet another playoff victory over the Rockets after eliminating them four times from 2015-19.

Curry said this game felt different than those victories since these Rockets are a completely different team than the ones he faced back then.

“Playoff composure and experience in general allows you to kind of withstand the runs a little bit and not get flustered,” he said. “So we rely on that more than any of the history here.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry reacts a 3-pointer against the Houston Rockets during the second 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)

Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) and Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (0) reach for a loose ball during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Houston, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr talks to his team during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets in Houston, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) has a pass go off his hand for a turnover while being defended by 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)

Golden State Warriors' Brandin Podziemski (2) defends Houston Rockets' Amen Thompson (1) 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)

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) shoots agasint Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Houston, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Golden State Warriors' Jimmy Butler III saves the ball from going out of bounds against Houston Rockets' Dillon Brooks (9) during the second 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)

Golden State Warriors' Moses Moody (4) defends against Houston Rockets' Jalen Green (4) during the second 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)

Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) dunks during the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets in Houston, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Golden State Warriors' Gui Santos, right, and Houston Rockets' Jabari Smith, Jr., front, vie for rebound position 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)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) scores against Houston Rockets' Tari Eason (17) and Jalen Green (4) 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)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) greets forward Draymond Green (23) before Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets in Houston, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Exxon Mobil’s first quarter profit slumped to the lowest level in years, stung by weaker crude prices and higher costs.

The oil and gas giant earned $7.71 billion, or $1.76 per share, for the three months ended March 31. It earned $8.22 billion, or $2.06 per share, in the year-ago period.

The results topped Wall Street expectations, but Exxon does not adjust its reported results based on one-time events such as asset sales. Analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research expected earnings of $1.74 per share.

Revenue totaled $83.13 billion, which fell short of the $84.15 billion that analysts were calling for.

Chevron also reported its lowest first-quarter profits in years, with per-share adjusted profit falling to $2.18 per share on revenue of $47.61 billion. Similar to Exxon, Chevron does not adjust its reported results based on one-time events such as asset sales. Analysts predicted earnings of $2.15 per share on revenue of $48.66 billion.

The last time first-quarter profits were this low for Exxon was in 2022 and for Chevron, in 2021.

This week, a barrel of U.S. benchmark crude fell below $60, a level at which many producers can no longer turn a profit.

“In this uncertain market, our shareholders can be confident in knowing that we’re built for this,” Chairman and CEO Darren Woods said in a statement Friday. “The work we’ve done to transform our company over the past eight years positions us to excel in any environment.”

Crude oil is down nearly 18% for the year to date, according to FactSet.

Oil prices plummeted last month, at one point sinking to a four-year low in anticipation of slowing economic growth due to a burgeoning trade war.

Trump announced far-reaching tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners April 2 and then reversed himself a few days later after a market meltdown, suspending the import taxes for 90 days. Amid the uncertainty for both U.S. consumers and businesses, the Commerce Department said Wednesday that the U.S. economy shrank 0.3% from January through March, the first drop in three years.

Tariffs on steel and other materials, used for everything from tools to drilling and storage, can have an outsized impact on oil companies and amplify the detrimental effect of falling oil and gas prices.

Those falling oil prices signal pessimism about economic growth and can be a harbinger of a recession as manufacturers cut production, businesses cut travel costs and families rethink vacation plans.

And there appears to be little appetite for turn off the spigots by some of the world's largest producers.

In December eight members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries signaled they would not cut production as they compete with production from non-allied oil producing countries.

The OPEC+ members decided at the time to postpone production increases that had been scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. The plan had been to start gradually restoring 2.2 million barrels per day over the course of 2025.

That process was pushed back to April 1 and production increases will gradually take place over 18 months until October 2026.

Shares of Exxon Mobil rose slightly before the market open, while Chevron fell 2%.

FILE - This is the sign on a Exxon gas station in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, file)

FILE - Oil pumps work in the desert oil fields of Sakhir, Bahrain, Sept. 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File)