The Golden State Warriors made a massive statement on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals, winning 99-88. In a game that saw the Warriors in control for nearly all 48 minutes, Golden State stole home-court advantage as the lower seed.
Stephen Curry exited the game early due to a hamstring injury, but former New Orleans Pelicans guard Buddy Hield stepped up in a major way, putting up 24 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 7-of-19 shooting from the field, knocking down five threes in the process.
Hield’s play did not go unnoticed. Kendrick Perkins, another former Pelican, took to X to react to the 32-year-old’s performance. The NBA analyst noted how impactful the Warriors organization can be on a veteran like Hield.
“It’s amazing what a winning Culture can do for a player,” Perkins said. “Buddy Hield has been a completely different player on both ends of the floor this postseason.”
Hield is averaging 12.5 points this postseason, but came up clutch when it mattered. In Game 7 of Golden State’s first-round series against the Houston Rockets, he put up an incredible 33 points, missing just three shots in a game where it took an entire half for Curry to get it going.
The Warriors will play Game 2 at the Target Center before heading home to the Chase for Games 3 and 4. Wednesday night’s win was a major step, bringing Golden State one step closer to its first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2022.
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