But mostly, Buddy Hield played the game of his professional life. Hield poured in six 3-pointers en route to 22 first-half points, accounting for nearly 50% of Golden State's offense through the first two quarters and what could only be described as a sigh-of-relief halftime margin.

The Houston Rockets turned a corner in the 2024-25 NBA season, as they made it back to the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2020. But their return trip to the postseason lasted just seven games, with the Rockets ultimately failing to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the first round against the Golden State Warriors.

Golden State initially held a 3-1 lead but has since lost two straight to Houston, shifting momentum to the home side. It's the second Game 7 between the two squads: They also faced off in a Game 7 in the 2018 Western Conference finals. The Rockets lost that matchup after famously missing 27 straight 3-pointers.

The Golden State Warriors are going to surmount a playoff run and their catalyst Draymond Green is going to find every possible angle to allow himself to play right on the edge of productivity and suspension.

It seemed like a renewed Golden State team that had played like one of the best in the league since trading for Jimmy Butler in February was going to cruise past the Houston Rockets in the first round when it seized a 3-1 lead,

Warriors veteran Draymond Green is accepting some blame for Golden State's rough performance in their Game 6 loss to the Houston Rockets. Ahead of Sunday's win-or-go-home Game 7 matchup, Green spoke with NBA TV reporter Lauren Jbara about the importance of keeping his emotions in check,