Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield’s Unexpected Surge Seals Warriors’ Dramatic Game 7 Triumph Over Rockets

In a night packed with clutch shots and unrelenting hustle, the Golden State Warriors punched their ticket to the Western Conference semifinals, dispatching the Houston Rockets 103-89 in a tense Game 7 showdown. If you weren’t glued to the screen, you missed an electrifying mix of sharpshooting and veteran poise — with Buddy Hield absolutely torching the nets for a staggering nine triples, tallying 33 points and rewriting the record books for a Game 7 performance. Meanwhile, Stephen Curry, ever the magician when stakes rise, buried 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, reminding everyone why he’s the heartbeat of this Warriors squad. Houston’s upstart young guns fought valiantly, especially Amen Thompson’s 24-point barrage, but the seasoned Warriors’ experience and depth simply overwhelmed them down the stretch. Now, with the Timberwolves looming on Tuesday in Minnesota, Golden State’s battle-tested lineup looks ready to keep the postseason heat on. I gotta say, watching those final minutes was nothing short of thrilling—and the dynamic duo of Hield and Curry sure made sure the Rockets’ playoff run ended on their terms. LEARN MORE.

Hield was 9 of 11 from 3-point range, setting an NBA record for a Game 7 and making more 3s than the Rockets, who were 6 of 18 from long range. Curry added 10 rebounds and seven assists.Golden State led by eight entering the fourth and opened the quarter with a 5-0 run, capped by a 3 from Curry, to make it 75-62.Hield had a scorching first half with six 3-pointers and 22 points to carry the Warriors to a 12-point lead, with Curry scoring just three points before the break. Then Curry took over in the closing minutes and performed his signature “night night” gesture as the Warriors put the Rockets away.HOUSTON (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, Buddy Hield made nine 3-pointers and scored 33 points, and the Golden State Warriors advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with a 103-89 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 7 Sunday night.The Warriors became the seventh No. 7 seed in NBA history to advance to the semifinals and eliminated Houston in the playoffs for a fifth time. They sent the James Harden-led Rockets squads packing four times between 2015 and 2019.

The Warriors will face the Timberwolves Tuesday night in Minnesota.He was far from the only Rocket who struggled. Big man Alperen Sengun had 21 points and 14 rebounds. But he missed several easy shots on a 9-of-23 night.Houston scored the next six points, but the Warriors used a 7-2 spurt with four points from Curry to make it 82-70 with about seven minutes left.Jimmy Butler added 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Warriors, who improved to 28-11 since his debut on Feb. 8 after a trade from Miami.Jalen Green, who had 38 points to lead Houston to a Game 2 win, finished with eight points.Draymond Green added 16 points for the Warriors, who had four starters score in double figures.Fred VanVleet scored a combined 55 points in the last two games to help Houston extend the series. But he was limited to 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting Sunday to send the second-seeded Rockets home early in their first trip to the playoffs since 2020.Houston trailed by 15 before using a big run to get within three points in the third, but Golden State ended the quarter with a 7-2 run to take a 70-62 lead into the fourth.That sent many of the red-clad Rockets fans streaming for the exits.The Warriors played without key reserve Gary Payton II, who sat out with an illness that coach Steve Kerr said had him “sick as a dog.”Amen Thompson scored 24 points to lead Houston, which forced Game 7 with two straight wins but couldn’t put away the experienced Warriors.Curry made a contested 3, rebounded a missed jumper by Thompson and found Hield for an open corner 3 that made it 94-74 with 2:31 remaining.