Tensions were already running high, but they hit a whole new level during a heated timeout in Game 3 of the Warriors vs Rockets playoff series. Cameras caught every second of the awkward scene: Buddy Hield, apologizing to his teammates while Jimmy Butler, frustrated on the bench, shook his head in disappointment. Meanwhile, Stephen Curry stood there, visibly unimpressed, absorbing the moment but not exactly looking convinced.
It wasn’t just frustration boiling over in the moment, there’s more history here. Buddy Hield, who arrived with plenty of expectations after a strong contract deal, has had an up and down start with the Warriors. Earlier in the season, Steve Kerr had even publicly introduced Hield to Curry during a game, jokingly pointing out that maybe, just maybe, Buddy should remember to pass the ball to the team’s biggest star. Since then, things have been rocky, with flashes of brilliance but also a lot of growing pains.
Curry’s patience wears thin during Warriors timeout
In Game 3, Hield scored a decent 17 points, but it was Stephen Curry once again carrying the Warriors on his back with a monster 36 point performance. Golden State beat Houston 104-93 to take a 2-1 lead in the first round playoff series, but despite the win, the tension on the bench showed that not everything is clicking the way it should. And it’s not hard to understand why. With Jimmy Butler currently sidelined due to an MCL injury but still showing leadership from the bench, and Curry trying to keep the ship steady, the Warriors don’t have time for chemistry issues.
You could almost feel it in the body language. As Buddy Hield spoke, Curry barely reacted. No dramatic head nod, no reassuring pat on the back, just a quiet, almost resigned acceptance. It was the kind of look that says, “We’ll see,” not “All good, let’s move on.” For a team that’s been through as many battles as the Warriors, trust isn’t given; it’s earned, night after night.
And that’s the challenge for Buddy Hield right now. Sure, he’s putting up points. Sure, he’s trying. But there’s a big difference between having a good game stat wise and actually winning the confidence of two battle tested stars like Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. In the playoffs, every possession, every decision matters, and they need a version of Buddy who is locked in not just scoring, but making the right plays when it counts.
In the end, the Warriors got the win, and that’s what matters most for now. But if they want to make a real run deep into the playoffs, the connection between Curry, Butler, and Hield has to be more than surface level. Apologies are a start. But as Curry’s face made pretty clear, the real answer will come with action, not words.
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