The Golden State Warriors have advanced in the playoffs after defeating the Houston Rockets with a score of 103-89 in the decisive Game 7 held on Sunday.
Their next opponent will be the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals. Game 1 is scheduled for Tuesday. This matchup marks only the third instance since the 1984 seeding began where the No. 6 and No. 7 seeds of a conference have competed against each other in a series. The previous occurrences were the 2023 Warriors-Los Angeles Lakers series and the 1987 Rockets-Seattle SuperSonics series.
Golden State showcased a strong offensive performance, with three players scoring 20 or more points in a Game 7 for the first time in franchise history, led by Buddy Hield`s impressive 33 points. Stephen Curry contributed 22 points, notably scoring 13 in the fourth quarter, while Jimmy Butler III added 20 points. For the Rockets, Amen Thompson was the leading scorer with 24 points.
The game was a high-scoring affair, but the Rockets struggled with efficiency, shooting just 40.5% from the field and committing more turnovers (11) than they made 3-pointers (six). Buddy Hield alone made more 3-pointers (nine) than the entire Rockets team. In contrast, Golden State made 18 three-pointers, matching Houston`s total attempts from beyond the arc.
