Stephen Curry erupted for 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, Buddy Hield dropped 33 points with nine 3-pointers, and the Golden State Warriors clinched a 103-89 victory over the Houston Rockets in Game 7 on Sunday night, advancing to the Western Conference semifinals. The Warriors will face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday in Minnesota.
Hield dominated the first half with six triples and 22 points, giving Golden State a 12-point lead while Curry scored just three before the break. Curry took over late, sealing the win with his iconic “night night” gesture. Hield’s 9/11 from deep set an NBA Game 7 record, outshining Houston’s 6/18 3-point effort. Curry added 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Amen Thompson led Houston with 24 points, but the Rockets, who forced Game 7 with two straight wins, couldn’t overcome the veteran Warriors. As the No. 7 seed, Golden State became the seventh team in NBA history to reach the semifinals from that spot, eliminating Houston in the playoffs for the fifth time.
Golden State led by eight entering the fourth and opened with a 5-0 run, capped by a Curry 3-pointer, to make it 75-62. Houston closed to within six, but a 7-2 spurt, including four from Curry, pushed the lead to 82-70. Curry’s contested 3-pointer, followed by a rebound and assist to Hield for an open corner 3, made it 94-74, sending Rockets fans to the exits.
Jimmy Butler contributed 20 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, while Draymond Green added 16. Fred VanVleet, after 55 points in the prior two games, was held to 17 (6/13). Alperen Sengun had 21 points and 14 rebounds but shot 9/23. Jalen Green, after a 38-point Game 2, managed eight points.
