Live updates: Follow Game 7 of Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors

Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle

Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle

Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle

Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle

Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle

Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle

Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle

Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle

Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle

Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle

The No. 2 Houston Rockets and No. 7 Golden State Warriors square off in a winner-takes-all Game 7 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Toyota Center (on TNT) to wrap up their first-round NBA playoff series.

The winner of Sunday’s game advances to the Western Conference semifinals to face the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves, who took down the No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, 4-1.

Check back here throughout the day for pregame, in-game and postgame updates from the Houston Chronicle.

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Stephen Curry is awake. He made a finger roll, then a 3-pointer to give himself 13 points and the Warriors a 75-62 lead with 10:48 remaining. — Matt Young

Houston whittled a 15-point deficit down to 3, but then missed its next four shots while Golden State made three of five to close the quarter. Rockets are dominating the paint and the glass but missed shots are a killer. — Danielle Lerner

Jabari Smith Jr. continues to hit clutch shots when the Rockets need it in this series. He made two huge 3’s late in Game 6, and just made another here in the third quarter to cut the Warriors’ lead to 63-60. Smith had missed his first three shots of the game before that, but as the manta goes, shooters shoot. — Danielle Lerner

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Amen Thompson just assisted back-to-back baskets to cap a 14-4 Rockets run and prompt a Warriors timeout. Thompson accounts for 71.4% of Houston’s points in the third quarter (6 points, 2 assists, 4 points created from assists). — Danielle Lerner

A driving layup by Jalen Green gets the Rockets within 58-53 with 5:37 left in the third quarter, forcing a Warriors timeout. It’s the closest Houston has been since midway through the second. — Greg Rajan

With the Rockets trailing 56-49 and 7:36 remaining in the third quarter, Ime Udoka unsuccessfully challenged an out-of-bounds call. The Rockets now lose their coach’s challenge for the rest of the game and are down a timeout. — Danielle Lerner

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Amen Thompson, with a team-high 18 points so far, has been aggressive and has imposed his will tonight. He has really singlehandedly kept the Rockets in this game. This has been one of his better performances of the series. — Jonathan M. Alexander

Four quick points by the Rockets to make it 56-47 prompt a Warriors timeout with 8:35 left in the third quarter. — Greg Rajan

After a three-point play by Jimmy Butler, the Rockets got two quick buckets by Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson. Warriors lead 54-43 with 10:05 left in the third quarter. — Matt Young

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Charles Barkley on Rockets: “These dudes need to get to gym in offseason and learn how to shoot.” Houston is shooting 35.6% in the first half. — Reid Laymance

Rockets’ guard Jalen Green has played just 11 minutes and has two points. He’s 1-for-4 from the field and missed his only 3-point attempt. — Reid Laymance

Houston shot 33.3% in the second quarter (7-of-21) while Golden State shot 52% (11-of-21) boosted by 14 points from Buddy Hield. The Rockets are up 24-12 in paint points but are being outscored by the Warriors 33-6 behind the arc. — Danielle Lerner

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Draymond Green was hit with a technical foul, his fourth of the series, late in the second quarter when he ended up hitting Fred VanVleet in the face after the Rockets guard stripped him of the ball. Green was ready to pass the ball when VanVleet reached in and slapped it away. On Green’s follow through, his forearm caught VanVleet on the chin, sending him to the ground where he stayed for a while. Officials reviewed the play and ruled it was a defensive foul on VanVleet for the reach and a technical foul on Green. — Matt Young

The Rockets are making Buddy Hield look like Klay Thompson. They’ve got to do a better job of finding him and contesting his shot. — Jonathan M. Alexander

On a recent timeout, TNT microphones in the Warriors huddle picked up Steve Kerr telling his team that if it kept winning the 50-50 balls and did nothing else, they would win the game. — Reid Laymance

The Rockets are down 10, their largest deficit of the game with 3:19 left in the first half, and have made one field goal in the last six minutes. Steven Adams is already stretching at the scorer’s table with Golden State up 39-29. — Danielle Lerner

The Warriors are turning the tables on the Rockets. Golden State is defending in a matchup zone and it’s confusing Houston; the Rockets’ last four possessions included three missed shots and a turnover.

The Rockets are also shooting 36.4% (8-of-22) in the paint so far in the game, including 7-of-18 in the first quarter. — Danielle Lerner.

If you told me Stephen Curry would have 0 points after 17 minutes of action, I’d like Rockets’ chances. But they trail 33-24 here with seven minutes remaining in the second quarter. Buddy Hield leads the Warriors with 13 points and has hit some big shots. — Jonathan M. Alexander

Golden State is up 33-24 with 6:59 left in the first half, the Warriors’ biggest advantage of the game. Incredibly, it’s happened without Stephen Curry scoring a single point. — Greg Rajan

The Rockets trail by four points heading into the second quarter, but their defense has been tremendous. They’ve forced the Warriors to settle for bad shots. That’s what’s going to win them the game, especially if they turn that into offense. Stephen Curry was 0-for-4 in the first quarter and 0-for-3 from 3-point range.

Before Buddy Hield’s buzzer-beating 3 to end the quarter, the Warriors had missed five of their last six shots against the Rockets’ closing lineup of Jalen Green, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Şengün and Steven Adams. — Jonathan M. Alexander and Danielle Lerner

The Warriors’ Stephen Curry finished the quarter without a point, shooting 0-for-4 from the field, including three missed 3-pointers. It’s a different story for Buddy Hield, however, who hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Warriors a 23-19 lead heading into the second. — Matt Young

With three minutes remaining in the opening quarter, the Warriors called timeout after Amen Thompson tied the game by scoring on consecutive possessions, a putback layup off Fred VanVleet’s miss followed by a steal-and-score. Thompson has a team-high six points on 3-of-4 shooting and has been extremely active around the basket in the Rockets’ offense, not to mention his defensive work guarding Stephen Curry. — Danielle Lerner

It’s 16-13 Warriors. Draymond Green leads Golden State with eight points, making both of his 3-point attempts. — Greg Rajan

Golden State is definitely showing more help defense on Fred VanVleet so far in Game 7 after he exploded for 29 points and six 3’s last game. VanVleet is passing well out of traps so far and making the Warriors pay for single coverage. He’s made his first two shots from the field and has five points with one assists in eight minutes. — Danielle Lerner

After his stellar Game 6, Steven Adams is the Rockets’ first sub off the bench tonight, replacing Jalen Green as Houston goes to its double-big lineup with seven minutes remaining in the first quarter. — Danielle Lerner

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud missed the ceremonial first shot. That makes him 0-for-2 now on the pregame free throw. Stroud prides himself on his basketball skills, and especially his jumper. Maybe he just needs the ball on the move or further back? — Matt Young

The Rockets stuck with the same starting lineup they’ve used all series: Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun.

With Gary Payton II out sick after starting Game 6, the Warriors went back to their starting lineup from Games 4 & 5: Steph Curry, Buddy Hield, Brandin Podziemski, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. — Danielle Lerner

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is taking the traditional first shot before Game 7. Stroud attended Game 1 of this series and chatted with the Warriors Stephen Curry after the game. Stroud also was sitting courtside of Game 6 of the Clippers-Nuggets series in Los Angeles. — Jonathan M. Alexander

It feels like the Rockets have an advantage over the Warriors heading into Game 7 with their youth. The Warriors, whose stars are much older than the Rockets’ stars, played one extra game in the play-in to get to the 7 seed, and it showed in Game 6. — Jonathan M. Alexander

The Warriors have been in their fair share of playoff Game 7s, including when they eliminated the Rockets from the 2018 Western Conference Finals.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr said pregame that he doesn’t indulge in rah-rah speeches or trying to hype his players up extra for a Game 7.

“I played in, I think three game 7s maybe, and I know that the key is to lose yourself in the game,” Kerr said. “And I know our guys have experience with that, and they’ve done a great job of that, and you can’t think about anything other than the next play and you go for it. In the end, this is what we do. This is why we play, to get to these moments, and you have to embrace the fact that you might win, you might lose.” — Danielle Lerner

The Warriors will be without their best perimeter defender as Gary Payton II woke up Sunday morning too sick to play. “He’s sick as a dog,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Woke up ill. Didn’t go to shootaround. Hasn’t eaten. No way he can play.” It’s a big loss for Golden State, which used Payton to bother Jalen Green early in the series, then drew the start in Game 6 to defend the hot-shooting Fred VanVleet. — Matt Young

Warriors guard Gary Payton II (illness), a late addition to the injury report, was downgraded from questionable to out a few hours before tipoff on Sunday.

Golden State started Payton for the first time in the series in Game 6, hoping his defense would help contain Rockets guard Fred VanVleet’s hot shooting. VanVleet got going anyway, scoring 29 points while the Warriors tried different lineups in an attempt to generate offense. — Danielle Lerner

The NBA will announce the Coach of the Year award on Monday at 5:30 p.m. on TNT. The Rockets’ Ime Udoka is one of three finalists along with J,B. Bickerstaff of Detroit and Kenny Atkinson of Cleveland.

If those other names sound familiar, they should.

Bickerstaff was an assistant with the Rockets from 2011-16 and served as interim coach after Kevin McHale was fired. Bickerstaff went 37-34 in finishing out the 2015-16 season. Houston lost in the first round to the Warriors that season.

Atkinson was a player development assistant under Jeff Van Gundy in Houston interviewed for the Rockets’ job in 2023 before Udoka was hired. — Reid Laymance

Rockets center Alperen Şengün said he definitely felt an adrenaline rush immediately after Houston won Game 6.

“We were talking about after the last game, ‘I can play the seventh game right now,’” he said.

Şengün said he’s been running on adrenaline all series, which has made it difficult to sleep but also amped up his performances.

“I having that since the first Game 1,” he said. “I think that’s good, keeping me awake. I can’t sleep well, but you know, I don’t feel tired. So the (excitement) I have, it’s helped me a lot. Shows how much I want it and how much I want to play the game.” — Danielle Lerner

Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet are the only Rockets players who have competed in Game 7 of a playoff series, so Sunday will be the first Game 7 for most of the Rockets, including veteran Dillon Brooks.

Brooks said he expects a louder, more intense environment and thinks Golden State will set the tone with a “physical, grabby” game. Houston needs to be ready.

“All these games leading up to it, we are composed, we have our emotions in check,” Brooks said. “Just helping each other out, being that teammate. We need every single possession. We don’t need cynical fouls or flagrant fouls or stoppage of game. We need to play. We need to be composed. We need to be together.” — Danielle Lerner

When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday

Where: Toyota Center

TV: Space City Home Network or TNT

Radio: 790 AM, 93.3 FM (Spanish)

There were no changes to the injury reports for either team for Game 7.

Jock Landale (knee contustion) and Jae’Sean Tate (ankle impingment) remain out for Houston. Golden State has everyone available on Sunday.

Favorite: Rockets (-2.5)

Rockets money line: -138

Warriors money line: +118

Over-under total: 204

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Live updates: Follow Game 7 of Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors

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