The Golden State Warriors are heading to the next round of the playoffs after a hard-fought Game 7 against the Houston Rockets, clinching the series 4-3 with a 103-89 victory at the Toyota Center. This win is particularly sweet for the Warriors, as they managed to avoid the dreaded fate of becoming the 14th team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 series lead—a painful reminder of their collapse in the 2016 NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
The game started off cautiously, with both teams trading blows in a tightly contested first quarter. Stephen Curry had a slower offensive start, but Buddy Hield quickly took over, putting on a shooting clinic. Hield was a key catalyst, draining nine 3-pointers to match an NBA record for the most made in a Game 7. His first-half performance was phenomenal, scoring 22 of his playoff career-high 33 points before halftime, including a dazzling 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Curry finally got his scoring going just before halftime with a long-range shot, helping to build a 12-point lead for the Warriors at the break.
However, as excellent as Hield was in the first half, the momentum shifted in the third quarter. The Rockets executed a 14-4 run out of halftime, trimming the Warriors’ lead to single digits and invigorating their crowd. Jabari Smith Jr.’s dagger three-pointer pushed the game to a one-possession contest, but the Warriors recalibrated just in time. They ended the third quarter on a 7-2 run, tightening their defense to finish the period without allowing a single field goal, and restored their lead to eight points.
The fourth quarter was where Curry truly shined. He broke free and ignited a quick solo 5-0 run, including a magnificent step-back 3-pointer that forced a Rockets timeout and extended the Warriors’ lead back to 13. Hield joined the action again with a timely 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter, enabling Golden State to push back into double-digit territory despite the Rockets’ earlier surge.
In a commanding display of offensive prowess, the Warriors capped off the game with a 12-0 run, highlighted by yet another trey from Hield, ballooning their lead to 20 points and essentially sealing the deal. The Warriors controlled the rhythm of the game, outscoring the Rockets from beyond the arc by 36 points—a monumental statistic that contributed heavily to the outcome.
Individual efforts shone brightly on both sides of the court. For the Rockets, Amen Thompson led with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Alperen Şengün and Fred VanVleet added 21 and 17 points, respectively. Despite those efforts, Houston’s shooting from deep came up short at 6-of-18—a stark contrast to Hield’s explosive performance.
The Warriors will now turn their attention to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the conference semifinals, starting Tuesday night in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves rolled past the Los Angeles Lakers with a convincing 4-1 series win, and this matchup promises to be an exciting clash as both teams vie for a place in the Western Conference Finals. Buckle up, because the playoff intensity is only going to ramp up from here!
