Hield Surges, Warriors Beat Rockets to Push Past First Round

Just a few games ago, the Rockets found themselves down 3-1 against a strong Warriors team.

With their backs against the wall, they fought hard, took two in a row, and tied things up 3-3.

Going back home with all of the momentum on their side, it seemed like they could close the door. Unfortunately for them, Golden State has Stephen Curry.

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

It’s no secret the Warriors are a great game seven team. Steve Kerr has only lost one during his tenure with Golden State, while both Curry and Jimmy Butler are excellent in high pressure moments.

The superstar duo plays hard, and only gets better when the lights are bright

However, it wasn’t the pair that pushed the Warriors past the first round. It was Buddy Hield.

Unexpected Production

It’s often said that the most unexpected heroes step up in the biggest moments. On Sunday night, that’s exactly what happened in Houston. Rather than losing to Butler or Curry, though both held their own, the Rockets were picked apart by Buddy Hield.

The point guard absolutely exploded in game seven, scoring 33 points on 12-of-15 shooting

He wasn’t just locked in, he was absolutely lights out. The deep threat only missed three shots, and did so while going 9-of-11 from three.

That type of consistency is not something the Rockets planned for, and it allowed Golden State to thrive.

The Warriors went up by four at the end of the first quarter, then pushed their lead to twelve at the half. Houston closed the gap a bit in the third, but Curry and Hield both put in plenty of clutch shots down the stretch.

The Rockets never got too close and ended up losing 103-89

It was a chance for the Warriors to prove themselves and put the league on notice. Their last two games were sloppy. Game seven, everything was working.

“I’ve been dying since last game,” said Draymond Green. “I needed to get out on the floor, prove who I am. One thing about this league, you’re never done proving who you are until you’re done, completely finished.”

As Reliable as Ever

The win is one of the biggest of Curry’s career. While he’s had much more important games with much higher stakes, he’s never had so much weight when it comes to legacy.

He needs a fifth ring to enter all-time great territory, while Butler needs one to solidify his already great career

The pair did a solid job. Curry put up 22 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. Butler went 20/8/7. Both of those stat lines are far beyond just points and show just how much they each contribute to the team when the stakes get high.

Though it’s easy to be happy about the win, the road is far from over. There’s a lot of basketball left to play, and a good Timberwolves team awaits.

Even so, having two battle-tested vets at the helm makes the journey a lot easier for everyone

“That’s the common theme, the common denominator in all these days,” said head coach Steve Kerr. “It’s their competitive force and how much they love to play, compete, win, in the process of going through it.

The fact these guys continue to put themselves on the line, year after year after year, it just blows me away.”

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Next Team Up

The Rockets are a strong young team with a bright future ahead of them. They have a lot of talent, they are hungry, and could be back even stronger next year.

Even so, they are now far from the Warriors’ mind. Golden State is all about Minnesota.

Though Curry and company got out of the first round, the reason it was so close largely came down to their lack of a strong big man. They have a couple of bodies, but none that could really tangle with Alperen Sengun or Steven Adams.

Next round, they’re going to have an even harder time keeping up with the likes of Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Minnesota is known for their size.

The Warriors can’t keep up with that, which means they’re going to have to rely on their speed and experience more than ever.

Getting into a physical battle with the Timberwolves is a recipe for disaster. Rather they’re going to have to sit back and shoot.

It’s not going to be an easy series, especially without a dominant center, but as long as Stephen Curry is at the helm they can never be counted out.

“I’m a winner,” the guard said when discussing the recent victory in a post game interview.

For round one, that couldn’t be more true.