Buddy Hield provided an early lift before Stephen Curry took over late, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 103-89 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series.
Hield, who did not score in Game 6, opened Game 7 with a strong offensive performance, scoring 22 points in the first half including six 3-pointers. Curry had just three points at the break before finding his rhythm in the second half.
Curry finished with 22 points, scoring 14 in the fourth quarter to help close out the win. Hield ended the night with a game-high 33 points, making nine 3-pointers. He also contributed three rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal over 37 minutes.
Hield's 33 points marked his highest scoring total of the season, exceeding his previous best of 28 points in a regular season game against the New Orleans Pelicans in October. His 37 minutes were also a season high.
The Warriors advanced to the Western Conference semifinals. They will face the Minnesota Timberwolves starting Tuesday night in Minnesota.
Golden State's victory marked the fifth time they have eliminated Houston from the playoffs. Four of those eliminations came against the James Harden-led Rockets teams between 2015 and 2019.
The Warriors became the seventh No. 7 seed in NBA history to reach the semifinals with the 103-89 win.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr praised Hield's overall performance.
"This was not just a lights-out shooting performance for Buddy Hield," Kerr said. "It was a two-way performance. I thought his defense was fantastic."
