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Saving the Best for Last: GSW Upstages Raw Rockets By Teodoro Medina Reynoso PhilBoxing.com Tue, 06 May 2025  The veteran Golden State Warriors saved their best performance for last, decisively defeating the upstart Houston Rockets in front of their home crowd and eliminating them with a businesslike 103-89 win in Game Seven. This crucial victory could be attributed to several Warriors, especially Buddy Hield and Stephen Curry. However, the primary architect was none other than head coach Steve Kerr, who wisely kept his strategies concealed until it was time to reveal them for the decisive game. Kerr sparingly utilized Hield in Games 5 and 6, despite his considerable scoring output in Game 4, which Golden State won, giving them a 3-1 series lead. He also did not force the issue with Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green when opportunities proved elusive in Game 5 in Houston and Game 6 back home at Chase Center. Losing Games 5 and 6 evened the series at 3-all, putting the Warriors in danger of a 2016 Finals déjà vu against the then-eventual winner, the Cleveland Cavaliers. But instead of panicking, this situation only galvanized the Warriors' determination to avoid another meltdown. And no one held that responsibility more than Kerr. Kerr began by initiating and announcing a change in the Warriors' starting lineup, returning Hield at small forward alongside the regulars: Green at center, Butler at power forward, Curry at point guard, and Brandin Podziemski as shooting guard. Waiting on the bench if needed were forwards Jonathan Kuminga and Gui Santos, guards Moses Moody and Gary Payton II, and centers Kevon Looney and Quentin Post. The insertion of Hield apparently didn't trigger alarm bells in Houston, as the Rockets started with a bigger lineup composed of center Alperen Sengun, forwards Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks, and guards Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green, with Steven Adams ready to provide a more imposing presence in the paint alongside Sengun. With a slow start by Curry and Butler drawing much of the Rockets' defensive attention, Houston seemed unperturbed even when Hield and Green carried the Warriors' offense in the first quarter, which Golden State took 23-19 on Hield's two consecutive three-pointers. Part of Houston's nonchalance could have been due to the fact that midway through the quarter, Kerr substituted Hield for Kuminga, whom many thought could be Kerr's secret weapon. But Kerr brought Hield back near the end of the period, and Buddy responded by sinking two three-pointers, including one before the buzzer. In the second quarter, Curry remained unproductive offensively, but Hield maintained his shooting touch, especially from beyond the arc, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the quarter and helping the Warriors take a 51-39 lead. The Rockets mounted a mini-rally in the third quarter, outscoring Golden State 23-19, but their hopes that Hield's hot shooting would finally cool down were dashed when Curry started to find his rhythm. The Warriors began to pull away and break the game wide open in the final quarter, with Hield and Curry combining for four three-pointers to establish a 94-74 bubble time down to only two and a half minutes remaining. Golden State practically cruised to victory allowing the Rockets to scale the margin down to what it was in the end. Hield scored a game-high 33 points, highlighted by nine three-pointers. Curry supported him with 22 points. Butler had 20 points, Green contributed a series-high 16 points, and Podziemski added 9 points. Golden State's starting five virtually outscored the entire Houston team, which fielded just eight players. Thompson led Houston with 23 points. Sengun scored 22, and VanVleet added 19 for the losers. They were the only Rockets in double figures, a surprisingly low output for a team that relied on "scoring by committee" to win. The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.  |
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