Warriors win Game 7, eliminate Rockets for the 5th time in the last decade

Stephen Curry scored 14 of his 22 factors within the fourth quarter, Buddy Hield made 9 3-pointers and scored 33 factors, and the Golden State Warriors superior to the Western Convention semifinals with a 103-89 win over the Houston Rockets in Recreation 7 Sunday night time.

The Warriors will face the Timberwolves Tuesday night time in Minnesota.

Hield had a scorching first half with six 3-pointers and 22 factors to hold the Warriors to a 12-point lead, with Curry scoring simply three factors earlier than the break. Then Curry took over within the closing minutes and carried out his signature “night time night time” gesture because the Warriors put the Rockets away.

The Warriors grew to become the seventh No. 7 seed in NBA historical past to advance to the semifinals and eradicated Houston within the playoffs for a fifth time. They despatched the James Harden-led Rockets squads packing 4 instances between 2015 and 2019.

Hield was 9 of 11 from 3-point vary, setting an NBA report for a Recreation 7 and making extra 3s than the Rockets, who had been 6 of 18 from lengthy vary. Curry added 10 rebounds and 7 assists.

Amen Thompson scored 24 factors to guide Houston, which pressured Recreation 7 with two straight wins however could not put away the skilled Warriors.

Golden State led by eight coming into the fourth and opened the quarter with a 5-0 run, capped by a 3 from Curry, to make it 75-62.

Houston scored the following six factors, however the Warriors used a 7-2 spurt with 4 factors from Curry to make it 82-70 with about seven minutes left.

Curry made a contested 3, rebounded a missed jumper by Thompson and located Hield for an open nook 3 that made it 94-74 with 2:31 remaining.

That despatched most of the red-clad Rockets followers streaming for the exits.

Jimmy Butler added 20 factors, eight rebounds and 7 assists for the Warriors, who improved to 28-11 since his debut on Feb. 8 after a commerce from Miami.

Fred VanVleet scored a mixed 55 factors within the final two video games to assist Houston lengthen the sequence. However he was restricted to 17 factors on 6-of-13 taking pictures Sunday to ship the second-seeded Rockets house early of their first journey to the playoffs since 2020.

He was removed from the one Rocket who struggled. Massive man Alperen Sengun had 21 factors and 14 rebounds. However he missed a number of simple pictures on a 9-of-23 night time.

Jalen Green, who had 38 factors to guide Houston to a Recreation 2 win, completed with eight factors.

Houston trailed by 15 earlier than utilizing a giant run to get inside three factors within the third, however Golden State ended the quarter with a 7-2 run to take a 70-62 lead into the fourth.

The Warriors performed with out key reserve Gary Payton II, who sat out with an sickness that coach Steve Kerr stated had him “sick as a canine.”

Draymond Green added 16 factors for the Warriors, who had 4 starters rating in double figures.

Reporting by The Related Press.

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