Warriors Triumph Over Rockets, Advance to Face Timberwolves in Semifinals

The Golden State Warriors clinched their spot in the Western Conference semifinals after besting the Houston Rockets 103-89 in a gripping Game 7 showdown on Sunday.

Next up for the Warriors are the Minnesota Timberwolves, as they head into the semifinals with Game 1 kicking off on Tuesday. This marks only the third instance since 1984—when the current system was implemented—that the sixth and seventh seeds meet in a playoff series, as highlighted by ESPN Research. The others include the 2023 clash between the Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers, and the 1987 series between the Rockets and the Seattle SuperSonics.

Buddy Hield spearheaded the Warriors’ attack, scoring an impressive 33 points. For the first time in their franchise history, the Warriors saw three players surpass the 20-point mark in a Game 7. Stephen Curry contributed 22 points, with 13 of those coming in the critical fourth quarter, and Jimmy Butler III chipped in with 20 points. Meanwhile, Amen Thompson was the standout performer for the Rockets, tallying 24 points.

In what turned out to be more of an offensive struggle for the Rockets, they were held to a 40.5% field goal percentage, committing more turnovers (11) than 3-point shots made (six). Hield outshined them by sinking nine 3-pointers himself. The Warriors dominated from beyond the arc with a total of 18 successful 3-pointers, matching the Rockets’ total deep shot attempts.