The Buddy Hield Era begins as Warriors eliminate Rockets in Game 7

Hield's 33 points leads way as Warriors don't blow 3-1 lead; Curry hits emphatic "Night Night" on Houston crowd.

Look, I'm just going to say it. I'm an addict. Not to the usual suspects—alcohol, nicotine, crypto—but to something far more potent, far more specific. I am addicted to watching the Houston Rockets suffer at the hands of the Golden State Warriors. And last night, Game 7 in Houston, I relapsed gloriously as the Warriors beat down the home town 103-89 to put their season to sleep.

The Warriors went up 3-1 in this series, and for a minute it looked like they were going to handle business the way the old dynasty used to—efficiently, ruthlessly, in five or six games. But they couldn’t get it done in Games 5 or 6.

It was like when you're a teenager and your one job is to roll the garbage bin out to the curb on Thursday night. You've been told. You know the stakes. But you get lazy, maybe fall asleep, maybe think, "I'll just do it in the morning." Suddenly it's garbage day and you're waking up to that loud mechanical BEEP BEEP BEEP outside. You spring into action, barefoot, dragging the can down the driveway like your life depends on it.

That was the Warriors. Game 5 was the missed alarm. Game 6 was the scramble. But in Game 7, just before the truck pulled away for good, they sprinted outside, rolled that bin to the curb—and dumped the Rockets where they belong with a decisive 103-89 victory.

Meanwhile, I read the Rockets postmortems like they're bedtime stories. I’ve tried to stop. I’ve tried to look away.
But then I read things like this, from The Dream Shake:

“Tari Eason fighting back tears…”
“We let opportunities slip away…”
“The young Rockets will grow from this.”

And I feel the itch.

Then I see Jalen Green—a guy who dropped 38 in Game 2—end Game 7 with eight points, one rebound, no assists, and a -17. The Rockets went 6-for-18 from three.
Buddy Hield went 9-for-11. I’ll get back to Buddy in a sec.

I’m floating, hooked on that sweet sweet euphoria of watching a fanbase break. I can taste that existential dread of Rockets fans wondering how this keeps happening. Five playoff eliminations in a decade. That's not a rivalry. That's a recurring appointment with pain.

As Draymond Green said after the game: "It's that organization. We like coming to the city playing in these situations. It's been good to us."

Spin move merchant Alperen Sengun posted a 21-14 double-double, but bricked 14 shots and finished a -12. Fred VanVleet, the heart of Houston's comeback push, looked human again with just 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting. Before the series, Fred made sure everyone knew "this ain't that team"—referring to the Rockets squads Golden State eliminated in years past. He was right. Those teams would have at least have the tenacity to miss 27 straight three-pointers as opposed to praying that Sengun could spin move THE GREATEST DEFENDER OF ALL TIME DRAYMOND GREEN out of the way all night.

Okay back to Buddy

Buddy Hield chose violence Sunday night. Hield made nine 3-pointers and scored a career playoff high 33 points, setting an NBA record for a Game 7. Let me repeat that—NINE threes on ELEVEN attempts. That's 81.8% from beyond the arc in a do-or-die playoff game!

I've hated Buddy's shot selection all season. I've cursed his heat checks. I've questioned whether he even knows what ball movement looks like. But Game 7 Buddy? He tapped into something preposterous. It was like he wore prime Klay Thompsons’ shoes for one night. I asked the HQ for their thoughts on how the Buddy narrative changed, and people really contributed. Here’s a few:

“Buddy Hield summoned demons with the strength of his basketball playing. There was a moment where the roof of Toyota Center opened up and the whole place burnt down. They didn't show it on TV though.” — GlueAndBold

“Buddy always brings the joy, to the Kings, to the Pacers, thank heaven he got out of the Sixers, to the Warriors! From MTII Athletic, “I’m the real Robin!” — Janet

“I liked the W’s getting Buddy last offseason. He was inconsistent and streaky with his shot, but I thought he always tried his best on D, rebounded fairly well and usually hustled. Mid season lows were disappointing and so I admit to having some doubts, while thinking he would feel more comfortable and at home with this team next season, and glad he was not part of a trade deadline swap. Now his game 7 hot streak has justified all of front office’s decision and coach’s faith in what he brings to this team. Still will be streaky, but he hit his great streak at the best time! Shooters gonna shoot and we’ll watch him let them fly with Game 7 in Houston memories in our heads….Onwards GSW!!! “ — Chadara

“I have supported all season that he should have started at SG from the get-go. Took STEVE all season to get there, seriously delaying BUDDY's integration and destroying his self-confidence, while putting the team through many unnecessary trials and tribulations to fill the huge shooting, gravity/spacing, and scoring void from the perimeter created by the ill-advised and premature departure of KLAY THOMPSON. The COVETED 2d SHOOTER-SCORER was always BUDDY. Expecting freshmen and yearlings to fill that void on a contender, even after JIMMY'S arrival, was unrealistic.” — Dinohealth

“I have been very frustrated with Buddy at multiple times, particularly late in the season.At one point last night I proclaimed on my Warriors text thread that, “I’d kiss Buddy on the mouth right now.” — Hammystyle

“We all know the BH experience. Hot then not. He wins them for ya, he loses them for ya. The question was, what will he do in the playoffs It didn't start or go that well on the shooting front. Game 1, 5 and 6 we got the empty calorie donuts from 3 (but 45% game three and 33.= game 2) Could he at least step up and hit maybe 40% for game 7 and help out with shooting?. That was what I thought was the most we could really hope for from him in game 7. Instead we got one for the ages. 9 for 11 in an elimination game on the road after shooting 0 for 6 over two games is next level. When the stars align that dude can shine.” — ilikefoodtrucks

Strength In Starters

The Dubs bench only scored 3 points. Oh well! The starters earned their checks yesterday. Stephen Curry, basketball's greatest showman, went full method actor in this game. Curry scored just three points in the first half before exploding for 19 in the second half—including 14 in the fourth quarter. When Houston made their last desperate push, Steph ended it with a contested three that had Tari Eason in tears and a "Night Night"off a Hield dagger that sent half the Toyota Center to the exits with glazed stares and broken wills.

This wasn't some chaotic shootout where luck prevailed. The numbers back the domination:

• Warriors shot 47.6% from the field to Houston's 40.5%

• Golden State hit 18 threes to Houston's six

• Draymond Green finished with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals, two blocks, and a +18 that felt every bit as dominant as it looks

• Jimmy Butler was the slow burn with his 20 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. The man plays every playoff game like it's a courtroom cross-examination.

Curry averaged 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 5.7 assists despite the Rockets selling their souls to break the rules of basketball to foul him and beat him up on every play knowing he had an injured thumb. The Rockets keep changing the cast, but the ending's always the same: Warriors advance, Houston ponders what could have been. It's basketball's most reliable rerun.

So yes, I'm an addict. I've come to terms with that. The Warriors took their sweet time, and gave Dub Nation extreme anxiety, but when it was time to take the trash out, they did it with the efficiency of a team that's been here before.

Wow, what a fun series. Close the book on those jabronis. AGAIN. Next stop: Minnesota. The Timberwolves await as the Warriors' playoff journey continues, while Houston heads to Cancún to contemplate how a 52-win season ended with the same old script.

Some habits are hard to break. For the Warriors, eliminating the Rockets in the playoffs isn't just tradition—it's practically a spring cleaning ritual. Hey cool, Steph and Jimmy and Dray just beat the #2 seed in their first playoff series together!

Also, remember when I told you that whichever team won the turnover battle would win the game, as had been the case the previous six games? Guess who had less turnovers yesterday ;)