The Golden State Warriors eliminated the Houston Rockets from the playoffs with a 103-89 win in Game 7 at Toyota Center on Sunday. Surprisingly, Buddy Hield was the star of the show for the Warriors, and he couldn’t resist taking a lighthearted jab at his teammate Jimmy Butler at the start of his press conference after the game.
“Tell them you’re not Robin no more,” Hield said. “He’s Alfred. His name is Butler.”
Buddy Hield welcomes Jimmy Butler to the podium and the two go back-and-forth
Hield: “Tell them you’re not Robin no more.” pic.twitter.com/vBj5NSE4Rl
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 5, 2025
Butler and Hield have been firing lighthearted jabs at each other ever since the former arrived via trade from the Miami Heat back in February. This was just the latest installment.
Butler, of course, had been referring to himself as Robin and Stephen Curry as Batman in recent weeks. Hield then inserted himself into the equation after Game 3 by calling himself Alfred. Butler was having none of that and hilariously called the guard a villain like the Joker.
Hield certainly was the villain for the Rockets and their fans in Game 7. The 32-year-old finished with 33 points (12-15 FG), three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and two blocks on the night.
Hield tied the NBA record for most three-pointers made in a Game 7 with nine and was simply outstanding. He hilariously stated in his postgame press conference that he had to pick up the slack as Butler hadn’t gotten going in the first half.
“Jimmy didn’t say nothing to me yet,” Hield said. “I’m not going to get on Jimmy yet. I’m gonna keep it calm. Today I had to fill his role in the first half. He was slacking.”
Butler only had eight points at halftime and had gone 3-7 from the field. He played better in the second half to finish the game with 20 points (7-13 FG), eight rebounds, seven assists, and one steal.
Butler hilariously refused to give Hield any credit in his postgame interview on the court. The six-time All-Star initially refused to do so in his press conference as well, but eventually gave him his flowers.
“Buddy gets paid a lot of money to play at a high level,” Butler stated. “Buddy was Buddy tonight. Good for you, Buddy! No, Buddy was huge. We know the type of basketball player that he is, and he’s a tough cover for sure when he’s making shots. But he made so many right plays on the defensive side of the ball, getting the ball where it needed to go. Buddy was really really really big for us tonight.”
The Warriors probably would have lost this game if not for Hield. The Rockets kept throwing multiple bodies at Curry, so the visitors needed someone else to take and make big shots in a high-pressure situation.
Hield, who had come under fire for his inconsistent play during the regular season, delivered when it mattered most. While it’d be unrealistic to expect the guard to score over 30 points on a consistent basis, the Warriors would be hoping he keeps stepping up moving forward, too.
The Warriors will now take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Semifinals. Game 1 isn’t too far away, as it will be played at the Target Center on Tuesday at 9:30 PM ET. The Warriors won’t have much time to prepare for that game, and it will be interesting to see how they fare in it.
