Understanding he would need to outwork Houston’s athletic defenders, with Jimmy Butler sidelined for the night, Stephen Curry was undeniable.
Curry overcame a two-point first quarter to will the Golden State Warriors past the Rockets, 104-93, to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round series against Houston.
No player logged more minutes Saturday night than Curry, 37, whose 40:59 of game time was nearly seven minutes more than the closest Golden State player, Draymond Green.
Curry dropped 36 points on an efficient 12-of-23 (52.2%) day that included a 5-of-13 showing (38.5%) from 3-point range. He also collected seven rebounds and dished out nine assists, willing the undermanned Warriors to the crucial Game 3 victory.
Although Curry is widely known to be one of the most well-conditioned players in the NBA, Golden State’s reliance on him raises the question of sustainability. As it was, before Butler’s injury, the Warriors were heavily dependent on the duo to manufacture their offense. Saturday night showed how precarious the formula can be.
When Curry took his first breather late in the first quarter, the Warriors failed to score a single point and missed all eight of their attempts in that span. Typically, those would be minutes when Butler would be asked to take on more offensive responsibilities. That led to coach Steve Kerr altering his rotation and playing Curry more minutes than he normally would.
Eventually, Curry and Golden State would settle, though it wouldn’t be easy.
Houston harassed Curry throughout the game, holding him and face guarding him, making him fight through contact on screens and making him sprint all over the court just to find tiny spaces from which to operate. It looked exhausting, but Curry’s conditioning and savvy allowed him to carry Golden State’s offense.
It helped that role players stepped up; as Curry drew more and more defensive attention, especially late in the game, Curry entrusted his teammates with open looks. Gary Payton II recorded a postseason career high with 16 points, including a massive stretch in the fourth in which he scored nine consecutive points and 11 in the period. In fact, during that span with the nine consecutive points, it was Curry who assisted three of the four field goals Payton converted.
Buddy Hield added 17 points off the bench and Green’s defense helped seal the game.
Now, attention turns to the rest of the series, and — potentially — beyond.
Butler, who’s nursing a “pelvis and deep gluteal muscle contusion” suffered Wednesday, had been listed as questionable and was a game-time decision. But after going through a pre-game workout, the Warriors opted to rule him out. That he was a game-time decision suggests that his return may be imminent, as soon as the next game.
Golden State, at the risk of burning Curry out, may need Butler back as soon as possible.
Steph Cury highlights vs. Rockets
Saturday night against the Rockets, Stephen Curry was masterful, especially in the fourth quarter. Curry expertly managed the additional defensive attention he drew and operated both as a scorer and distributor in the quarter.
Curry even amped up his defensive effort, swatting away a pair of blocks, one of which led to a Warriors fast-break opportunity.
Curry also moved into 10th on the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring list, currently with 4,046 points; Jerry West is in ninth, with 4,457.