The Warriors are advancing to the second round on the back of an unlikely hero.
After being held scoreless in Game 6 of Golden State's first round series against Houston, Buddy Hield erupted for a playoff career-high 33 points in Game 7 to propel the Warriors to a 103-89 win. Golden State's third option was on fire from beyond the arc, tying the playoff record for threes in a game with nine.
The Warriors needed someone else to be a catalyst on a night where Stephen Curry was held scoreless for nearly the entire first half, and Hield answered the call. He had 22 points to take the pressure off the 11-time All-Star, who then found his groove in the second half with 19 points. Golden State buried the home team with a 12-0 run late as fans bolted for the exits at Toyota Center.
STREAM: Watch Warriors-Rockets live with Sling
Golden State has now played in six Game 7s since 2014 and has a 4-2 record in those contests. They will face the Timberwolves in round two, with Jimmy Butler going up against the team that traded him to Philadelphia almost seven years ago.
The Sporting News tracked live scores, updates, and highlights from Game 7 between the Warriors and Rockets.
JUMP TO: Warriors vs. Rockets score | Highlights | How to watch Game 7
Warriors vs. Rockets final score
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Warriors vs. Rockets highlights from Game 7
Final: Warriors 103, Rockets 89
10:56 p.m. — The Warriors are on a 12-0 run, punctuated by threes from Curry and Hield. They're up 94-76, and fans are headed for the exits at Toyota Center. Steph hits his signature celebration.
10:45 p.m. — Hield cashes in his first points of the second half with a big three to put the Warriors up 80-70.
10:40 p.m. — Curry is starting to get going, he hits a deep three to put Golden State ahead by 13.
End of third quarter: Warriors 70, Rockets 62
10:20 p.m. — The Rockets are turning some great defense into even better offense right now. After a block by Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr. nails a deep three to cut the deficit to just three points.
10:00 p.m. —Podziemski throws one down at the start of the second half.
Halftime: Warriors 51, Rockets 39
9:33 p.m. — Hield hit six threes in the first half to help the Warriors open up a 12 point lead.
9:31 p.m. — Hield hits back-to-back threes. He has 11 points in the second quarter and 19 in the game.
9:27 p.m. —The Warriors are up 39-29 with three minutes to go before halftime. The Rockets have missed their last four shots and are just 2-7 from three.
9:17 p.m. — Stephen Curry still doesn't have a bucket, but the Warriors lead by nine thanks to 13 points from Hield, after he was held scoreless in Game 6.
End of first quarter: Warriors 23, Rockets 19
9:06 p.m. —Buddy Hield makes a 42-foot heave at the buzzer to end the first quarter to put the Warriors up by four.
9:04 p.m. — The Rockets have their first lead of the game, as Jalen Green muscles his way to the basket for a tough lay up.
8:54 p.m. — At the first media timeout, the Warriors lead 16-13. Green is 3-4 from the field and leads Golden State with eight points. VanVleet has five points to lead the Rockets. It's been a fast moving quarter so far.
8:50 p.m. — With Payton II out tonight, Jonathan Kuminga is getting some early minutes off the bench for Golden State.
8:44 p.m.— We are underway from Houston, as Draymond Green knocks down the first two buckets for the Warriors.
Pregame
8:40 p.m. — The starters for Game 7:
Warriors:
- Stephen Curry
- Brandon Podziemski
- Buddy Hield
- Jimmy Butler
- Draymond Green
Rockets:
- Fred VanVleet
- Jalen Green
- Amen Thompson
- Dillon Brooks
- Alperen Senguin
8:10 p.m. — Curry is warming up before the game. He averages 32.6 points per game in Game 7, the fourth highest total in NBA history.
7:40 p.m. — Stephen Curry, Dillon Brooks and more have arrived for Game 7.
6:35 p.m. — A injury update: Golden State will be without Gary Payton II tonight due to illness.
Warriors vs. Rockets Game 7 start time
- Date: Sunday, May 4
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 7 between the Warriors and Rockets will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET on May 4. The contest will follow Game 1 between the Cavaliers and Pacers, which begins at 6:00 p.m. ET.
How to watch Warriors vs. Rockets Game 7
- TV Channel: TNT, tru TV
- Live Stream: Max, Sling
TNT will have the call for Game 7 on Sunday night, with truTV also airing the game. For those looking to live stream the contest, Max and Sling will have the stream available.
Warriors vs. Rockets schedule
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV Channel/Live Stream |
| April 20 | Game 1: Warriors 95, Rockets 85 | - | - |
| April 23 | Game 2: Rockets 109, Warriors 94 | - | - |
| April 26 | Game 3: Warriors 104, Rockets 93 | - | - |
| April 28 | Game 4: Warriors 109, Rockets 106 | - | - |
| April 30 | Game 5: Rockets 131, Warriors 116 | - | - |
| May 2 | Game 6: Rockets 115, Warriors 107 | - | - |
| May 4 | Game 7: Rockets vs. Warriors | 8:30 p.m. ET | TNT/truTV/Max |
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