It seemed like the Golden State Warriors, experience abound, might might light work of the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The upstart Rockets had different plans, ultimately forcing Sunday night’s Game 7 in Houston. But when it was all said and done, the Warriors were too much and, despite several late attempts at a run from the home team, Golden State pulled away to take the series with an emphatic 103-89 victory.
Steph Curry, predictably, had a big night, partiuclarly in the second half as he finished the night with 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists while Jimmy Butler did his part too, adding 20 points, eight boards and seven dimes of his own. However, the night belonged to red-hot Buddy Hield, who went 9-of-11 from 3-point range to lead the Warriors with 33 points in the win.
Now, the Warriors are advancing in the NBA Playoffs, even as the No. 7 seed. And fans are wondering what’s next for Golden State.
Who do the Warriors play next after upsetting Rockets? Golden State schedule
The Warriors will play the Minnesota Timberwolves next in the round of the NBA Playoffs as Anthony Edwards and Co. pulled off an upset of their own, taking down the Lakers in the first round as the sixth-seed in the Western Conference. It should be a fascinating series between another young, hungry team in Minnesota and the wisened Warriors. Not to mention, we should get more rounds of Draymond Green and Rudy Gobert going at it.
It’s going to be arguably the best second round series in the playoffs but certainly in the West over the Thunder-Nuggets matchup. Fans will want to tune in, so we’ve got the full schedule for you.
| Game Number | Date and Time (ET) | TV info |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 @ Minnesota | Tuesday, May 6 – 9:30 p.m. | TNT/truTV/Max |
| Game 2 @ Minnesota | Thursday, May 8 – 8:30 p.m. | TNT/truTV/Max |
| Game 3 @ Golden State | Saturday, May 10 – 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Game 4 @ Golden State | Monday, May 12 – 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| Game 5 (if necessary) @ Minnesota | Wednesday, May 14 – TBD | TBD |
| Game 6 (if necessary) @ Golden State | Sunday, May 18 – TBD | TBD |
| Game 7 (if necessary) @ Minnesota | Tuesday, May 20 – 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
It’ll be a quick turnaround for the Warriors as their series tips off with the Timberwolves on Tuesday, just two nights after the Game 7 showdown in Houston. Even more daunting for Golden State, they’ll end one series on the road and begin another on the road as they have to go to Minneapolis for Games 1 and 2 against the T-Wolves.
Updated NBA Playoff bracket after Warriors upset Rockets
Golden State and Minnesota clashing in the Western Conference semifinals is fascinating considering that they were the only two teams that pulled out first-round upsets in their respective series. Now, they’re the two lowest-seeded teams remaining in the NBA Playoffs and they’ll play one another with a likely reward of facing the juggernaut Thunder, at least based on how heavily Oklahoma City is favored in that series.
The Warriors and T-Wolves, however, could be the most must-see matchup of this second round. The Knicks and Celtics over in the East have a case there, sure, but these two postseason sleepers who might be getting hot at the exact right time are going to throw haymakers for however many games the series takes. And when that happens in playoff basketball, that means that fans need to just get their popcorn ready for the show.
