Right from the start, the Golden State Warriors showed that they could actually be the veteran team who could pull off an upset, and they did just that. The Warriors blew a 3-1 lead, again, but managed to stave off elimination in Game 7. Now it's the second-seeded Houston Rockets who are going home after a 103-89 win by Golden State.

Buddy Hield drilled a Game 7 record of nine threes to lead the way for the Warriors, who didn’t shoot pretty well for most of the game but still managed to come up with key defensive stops. Hield’s flamethrower performance proved to be pivotal as he was the only player to crack 30 points in the whole game.

After leading by 3-1, many thought that the Warriors were going to move to the second round unscathed. But the Rockets fought back, and they made sure that they’d be able to give themselves a chance, but couldn’t capitalize on the home-court advantage in Game 7, with the crowd at home left in disappointment and shock.

A Classic Warriors Performance

Stephen Curry did not shoot well for the whole game and was even 1-6 from three in the first half, only having three points. He did, however, finish on 50% shooting from the field, to go along with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists – including a dagger three to push the Warriors’ lead to 91-74 with 2:55 to play.

Curry poured 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter alone, and the Rockets could not respond well when its best player, Jalen Green, was throwing bricks on 3-8 shooting and finished with eight points. Amen Thompson was the only player for the Rockets who shot above 50%. He finished with 24 points and nine rebounds and had his game going well until he slowed down late in the fourth with apparent cramps.

Houston never recovered from that and was blasted away by the Warriors’ incredible defense. There was a stretch when Golden State could not buy a bucket to put the game to bed, but then their defensive stops allowed them to thrive and ensure that they would still keep Houston at bay.

Within the final moments of the fourth, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Hield, and Curry all drilled the closing shots of the game that helped Golden State pull away and secure the 4-3 series win at the Toyota Center.

Houston’s Decade-Long Problem

The Houston Rockets’ rise to power in the Western Conference was unprecedented with its young core still not in full sync. However, there were high expectations when they finished the 2024-25 season with a bang.

It can be remembered that the Rockets have a long history with the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs. Houston has now been eliminated five times by Golden State in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and now, 2025. That is a decade of dominance by the Warriors over a single team in the playoffs, and it says a lot about the hurdles that the Rockets need to overcome if they are going to win it all.

For now, this loss will serve as a lesson for the young Rockets squad, a team that has yet to prove its worth on the big stage. Who knows, they will definitely be coming back stronger than ever in the coming NBA seasons.