Buddy Hield ties Game 7 record, makes NBA playoff history

It's worth noting that Hield made a Game 7 record six threes within the first half, four more than the entire Rockets roster. His blistering start was essential since Stephen Curry shot 1-of-7 in the first period and struggled against Houston's excessively physical defense. 

Curry acknowledged that Hield bailed out the Warriors when his shots weren't falling in the first half.

"I'm happy for him," Curry said of Hield. "He works so hard all year. I have got to know him a litte bit, and you can see how much basketball means to him. This is only his second playoff run, and for him to have a game like that in Game 7 — to set a record for most threes — it's pretty special."

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr deserves credit for trusting Hield, who came off the bench through the first three games and averaged 8.0 points at 42 percent shooting. As a starter for the remainder of the series, the Bahamian averaged 13.0 points at 50 percent shooting while also doing a stellar job defensively. The performance all but sealed his starting role for the second-round series against the Timberwolves. 

The journeyman Hield has bounced around the NBA in his nine-year career but may have finally found his home in Golden State. He is signed with the Warriors through the 2027-28 season.