The Warriors entered the locker room up 51-39, mostly thanks to 22 points from a red-hot Hield. With the Rockets successfully stifling Batman (Curry) and Robin (Jimmy Butler III), Alfred knocked down six of his seven 3-point attempts before intermission.

A day after an emotional players-only meeting, Buddy Hield became an unlikely playoff hero for the Warriors, leading the team early in Game 7 against the Rockets before Stephen Curry took over late.

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.