NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: ROCKETS vs WARRIORS

April 26, 2025

Buddy Hield

Game 3 - Postgame Media Conference

Golden State Warriors 104, Houston Rockets 93

Q. Buddy if you can speak to how you got that spark, especially in the second half to get the win?

BUDDY HIELD: Robin was out tonight so I had to step up. That was it. I had an Alfred tonight.

I know Jimmy is out and I know what's at stake. You don't wanting to down 2-1 series, especially at home. First playoff game, want to make an impression and match their physicality and make shots and just try and be a sparkplug for this team and do all the right things and be as efficient as I can.

Q. How much are you savoring this opportunity to have a chance on this kind of stage?

BUDDY HIELD: Just taking it possession by possession. Just learning. Intensity is fun. It's great. Especially being out there with great players like Steph and Draymond and the coaching staff helping me. But you've got to enjoy the moment and seize the moment. You can't be shy when the opportunity comes. You have to be out there and be fiery and be free.

Q. Steve said that you guys figured out the spacing tonight. In your mind what did that mean? What changed?

BUDDY HIELD: Just spacing, when they put two on the ball, finding the open spots where the guy who is rolling to make the guy who is tagging make a decision, either he's going to give up a layup or give up a three. My job as a shooter is just be in a space to find a window where I get a clean look and if they run me up that line, drive that gap and kick it back up.

Q. What is Jimmy Butler like as a coach on the bench when he's not playing in these games?

BUDDY HIELD: Terrible. Terrible advice. Terrible advice. I just was like tuning him out the whole time.

No, he's been good. He's been positive. He's telling me how to read drives except the one time I get picked out by Steve, he's, like, giving me a look. I'm like, Yo, don't even talk about it.

He's been good, just encouraging everybody and just especially when Draymond get attacked, he was letting everybody know that's good for our team, get our guys going. That was big. Changed the game for us.

Q. What does it do for you and your teammates when Steph is doing his thing without Jimmy Butler out there?

BUDDY HIELD: Like I said earlier, he seizes these type of moments. I've watch him my whole life, college to now and the previous playoff runs he's been on. Watching against this physical team, he embraces that. He thrives off that. You look at him, he's smaller than everybody but he's a competitor and he's just going to be competing and giving it his all every night.

Q. You mentioned you have to be free and let fly. How much of that attitude explains your career and your success? One of the reasons the Warriors see your value is even if you miss shots you're going to keep shooting; the value that adds.

BUDDY HIELD: Yeah, just next shot mentality. You can't think about it. If you think about it it's going to mess your whole mind up. Shooters, we have bad days and good days but today was a good day for sure. Just keep building off this one.

Q. There's been a lot of talk about their blitzing and trapping. Is that something you guys invite as an offense? Is that something you want them to do in their coverage of Curry?

BUDDY HIELD: What do you think? (Laughter).

Q. Seemed like had some success.

BUDDY HIELD: You want them to blitz you.