Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield lead ‘lucky’ Warriors past Rockets in Game 7

Forward Buddy Hield (L) and guard Stephen Curry carried the Golden State Warriors past the Houston Rockets in Game 7 of their first-round series Sunday in Houston. Photo by John G. Mabanglo/EPA-EFE
 

May 5 (UPI) — Stephen Curry scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, while Buddy Hield hit nine 3-pointers to lead the Golden State Warriors past the Houston Rockets and into the Western Conference semifinals.Curry totaled 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in the 103-89 Game 7 triumph Sunday in Houston. Hield made 12 of 15 shots, including a 9 of 11 clip for 3-point range, for a playoff career-high 33 points.

The seventh-seeded Warriors, who led the series 3-1 through four games, had dropped their last two to the No. 2 Rockets, allowing them to tie the series.

They responded by a dominant effort in Game 7, which they led by as many as 20 points. They led just once in the first quarter, but could not slow down their foes in the second half.

“We were lucky to get out of this series,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. “But much respect to the Rockets and their staff and their organization.

“They have a great team and they had a great season.”

The Warriors outshot the Rockets 47.6% to 40.5%. They were 18 of 43 (41.9%) from 3-point range, compared to the Rockets’ 6 of 18 (33.3%) clip.

The Rockets held a 52-38 edge in rebounding, but totaled 14 assists, compared to the Warriors’ 24. The Warriors also logged just seven turnovers against the Rockets’ 11.

“It was just a matter of getting everyone on the same page going into a hostile environment,” Curry said.

The Warriors went up 8-2 through the first two minutes of Game 7. The Rockets later used a 6-0 surge to take a 19-17 lead, but trailed 23-19 to start the second quarter.

Hield and the Warriors went on a 16-5 run, which started at the end of the first quarter and carried into the second, for a 33-24 edge. The veteran forward scored 14 points in the second quarter to help the Warriors secure a 51-39 lead at the break.

Forward Amen Thompson scored 10 in the third to help the Rockets outscore the Warriors 23-19 over the first 12 minutes of the second half. Curry and Hield poured in 14 and 11 points, respectively, in the fourth to seal the victory.

Warriors forward Jimmy Butler scored 20 points in the victory. Center Draymond Green chipped in 16 points. Thompson scored 24 for the Rockets. Center Alperen Sengun chipped in 21 points and 14 rebounds in the loss.

The Warriors will take on the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals at 9:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday in Minneapolis. The winner of the Timberwolves-Warriors series will face the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder or No. 4 Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals. Game 1 of the Thunder-Nuggets series will tip off at 9:30 p.m. Monday in Denver.