Buddy Hield picked the perfect time to have the game of his life. With their season on the line, the Golden State Warriors rode a red-hot start from Hield and a vintage finish from Stephen Curry to defeat the Houston Rockets 103-89 in Game 7 of their first-round series Sunday night, advancing to the Western Conference semifinals.
Hield, who had been scoreless in Game 6, erupted for 33 points on a blistering 9-of-11 shooting from 3-point range — setting a new NBA record for most threes in a Game 7. He carried the Warriors to a 12-point halftime lead with 22 first-half points, giving Golden State the early momentum it needed.
“I just knew I had to come out aggressive,” Hield said postgame. “You don’t get many chances at Game 7s. I let my team down in Game 6 and wanted to make up for it.”
While Hield lit it up early, it was Curry who closed the door. The two-time MVP scored 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, including a signature contested triple followed by his “night night” celebration as the Warriors built a commanding lead late. He also contributed 10 rebounds and seven assists, doing a bit of everything as Golden State weathered a brief Rockets surge.
The Warriors opened the fourth quarter with a 5-0 burst to go up 75-62, and when the Rockets trimmed the deficit to six, Golden State responded with a 7-2 run, capped by Curry’s dagger three and a dish to Hield for an open corner triple that made it 94-74 with 2:31 left. That sequence sent a wave of Rockets fans heading for the exits.
Veteran forward Draymond Green — who added 16 points — reminded reporters postgame of Fred VanVleet’s pre-series quote, when the Rockets guard said, “This ain’t that team,” referring to Houston’s playoff struggles against Golden State in the Harden era.
“I heard that,” Green said. “But some things don’t change.”
Indeed, Golden State improved to 5-0 all-time in playoff series against Houston, having previously eliminated the James Harden-led Rockets four times between 2015 and 2019. The Warriors also became just the seventh No. 7 seed in NBA history to advance to the second round.
Houston’s first playoff appearance since 2020 ended in disappointment despite some promising performances. Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 24 points, and VanVleet, who had scored a combined 55 points in Games 5 and 6, was held to 17 on 6-of-13 shooting. Alperen Sengun posted 21 points and 14 rebounds but shot just 9-of-23, missing several close-range opportunities. Jalen Green, who had 38 in Game 2, finished with just eight points in the finale.
Jimmy Butler continued his strong post-trade form for the Warriors, scoring 20 points with eight rebounds and seven assists. Since his acquisition from Miami on Feb. 8, the Warriors are now 28-11.
Golden State advances to face the No. 3 seed Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night in Minneapolis for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
After surviving Houston’s late push in the series, the experienced Warriors look ready for another deep postseason run — with a new playoff hero now in their ranks.
“Buddy was the difference,” Curry said. “He kept us alive early, and that gave me the chance to finish it.”
Can the Warriors carry their momentum into Minnesota?
