NBA playoffs roundup: Stephen Curry scores Game 7-record 50 as Warriors eliminate Kings

Warriors 120, Kings 100

Stephen Curry set a Game 7 scoring record with 50 points, and the Golden State Warriors kept their championship-repeat dreams alive with a 120-100 road win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday afternoon.

By virtue of their 19th consecutive playoff-series triumph over Western Conference competition, the sixth-seeded Warriors not only earned the right to take on the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the second round but also have the home-court advantage in the best-of-seven. The series is set to tip off Tuesday in San Francisco.

The third-seeded Kings, who were making their first postseason appearance in 17 years, had the home-court edge over the Warriors, but Golden State won Games 5 and 7 at Sacramento after two earlier home victories to advance.

Riding 16 points from Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento led 58-56 at halftime before Golden State flashed its championship form over the final 24 minutes.

It began with a 35-23 third-quarter edge fueled by Curry’s 14 points and Klay Thompson’s nine. It also included a 22-9 advantage in rebounds in the period.

Down 10 entering the final quarter, the Kings mounted no charge, missing their first five shots and mixing in a turnover. By the time De’Aaron Fox ended a 3:37 Sacramento drought, the Golden State lead had expanded to 14 as time slipped away.

Curry’s 50 points were three more than he’d ever scored in a playoff game, and two more than the 48 Kevin Durant put up against the Milwaukee Bucks in a Brooklyn Nets Game 7 loss in the 2021 Eastern semifinals. Curry shot 20-for-38 overall and 7-for-18 on 3-pointers.

Andrew Wiggins finished with 17 points. Thompson scored 16 in a 4-for-19 shooting effort, and Kevon Looney had 11 points and 21 rebounds.

Looney did most of his damage on the offensive glass, with 10 of his 21 boards coming off teammates’ misses. Golden State outrebounded the hosts 55-49 overall and 18-14 at the offensive end.

Returning to the starting lineup, Draymond Green chipped in with eight points, six rebounds, two steals, and a game-high eight assists.

Making 10 of his 16 shots, Sabonis led the Kings with 22 points to complement eight rebounds and a team-high seven assists.

Fox had 16 points on a 5-for-19 shooting afternoon, reserves Terence Davis and Malik Monk 14 apiece, and Keegan Murray 10 for Sacramento, which shot just 12-for-47 from 3-point range, getting outscored 45-36 from beyond the arc.

Kevin Huerter grabbed a team-high nine rebounds to go with seven points and two blocks.

Heat 108, Knicks 101

Jimmy Butler totaled 25 points and 11 rebounds and hobbled through the final five minutes as the visiting Miami Heat rallied for a 108-101 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

After scoring 42 points to help the eighth-seeded Heat rally from 16 down to close out Milwaukee in Game 5 on Wednesday, Butler was 8-of-16 from the floor and 9-of-11 from the foul line in 44 minutes, including the final minutes on a bad leg.

With 5:05 left and Miami up 95-92, Butler fell to the floor after being fouled by Josh Hart. He was holding his ankle and rolled over on his stomach after his right foot went under Hart’s leg.

Butler hobbled to the bench and returned gingerly before making both free throws.

The Heat then finished it off when Kyle Lowry hit a baseline jumper for a 104-94 lead with 2:53 left.

Gabe Vincent hit five of Miami’s 13 3-pointers and added 20 points. Lowry added 18 points and six assists off the bench, while Bam Adebayo contributed 16 points and eight boards as Miami shot 42.4%.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in New York.

RJ Barrett led all scorers with 26 points, but the Knicks were held to 40 points in the final 22-plus minutes and blew a 12-point lead midway through the second quarter.

Jalen Brunson added 25, and Obi Toppin finished with 18 as the Knicks shot 47.7% and missed 27-of-34 3-point attempts.

Julius Randle, New York’s leading scorer in the regular season, missed the game with a sprained left ankle that he originally injured March 29 and reinjured Wednesday in Cleveland. He worked out on the floor pregame before the Knicks announced he would sit out.

Barrett scored 11 as the Knicks outscored Miami 17-5 over the final 5:02 for a 32-21 lead after one quarter. New York took a 40-28 lead on Brunson’s layup with 7:30 left in the second quarter and settled for a 55-50 halftime lead after Adebayo sank a foul-line jumper right before the horn.

Miami ripped off a 21-5 run, and consecutive hoops by Butler opened a 74-66 lead with 5:34 left in the third. After the Knicks moved within 74-72 on Brunson’s basket with 4:33 left, the Heat took an 81-75 lead into the fourth.

–Field Level Media