Entering Game 3 of the playoffs, the Houston Rockets had only one aim: Stop Stephen Curry. The Golden State Warriors’ slow start, with Jimmy Butler sidelined, only helped the visitors’ cause of what HC Steve Kerr described as “a constant blitzing of Steph.” But unlike Butler’s name for him – “Batman” – Curry was the Warriors’ lone hero – Superman – on Saturday. And even after their constant tries to be his Kryptonite, the Rockets failed.
In the Houston matchup that gave the Warriors a 2-1 lead in the series, the Rockets knew Steph was the only offensive weapon Golden State had tonight. So, they put arguably their best and most athletic defender on him, Amen Thompson, intercepting the ball from reaching to Curry from the get-go. Dillon Brooks fouled the guard 11 seconds into the game. Still, despite the Rockets’ physical defense and the refs continuing to look the other way, Stephen somehow managed to find a few openings. He led his team in scoring with 15 points at the half, keeping the Warriors in the game. Hence, amidst all of Houston’s efforts, one thing became clear: Stephen Curry’s still got it.
He may not be dunking often, may prefer downing it from the deep over going into the paint, but after being double-teamed and pressurized throughout the series, especially in the 104-93 miraculous win, the number 37 for his age, remains just that. Just like it does for the 40-year-old LeBron James. However, more often than not, we see the Los Angeles Lakers star get the flowers, but Curry, while crowned for his talents, isn’t commonly recognized for his athleticism at that age. However, seeing him drop a game-high 36 points and turning the tides for the Warriors at Chase Center, even the ABC broadcasting crew wants similar things for both Steph and Bron, as was evident in their in-game conversation.
On-air ABC broadcasters noticed Steph’s misery, as they said on live TV, “Well, nobody’s gonna help off Stephen Curry. I mean Amen Thompson has been face guarding him the whole series. And then top blocking in certain situations just to keep him from getting a run up to the ball…
“There’s not a player in the league that logs more miles in a game than Steph Curry does. And he does it at age 37. I mean we throw flowers at LeBron James for his play at 40, which we should, it’s utterly remarkable. But you can’t forget that Steph Curry is doing all this at age 37.”
Every time LeBron hits the court, the NBA world is left in awe of his dominance in year 22. But Steph’s longevity often gets overlooked even though he has a similar impact on the court. And there’s also a reason for why he shows up and shows out in every game– Their team needs the win. So, through the blitzes and officiating blunders, as he has seen since the series started, Curry’s stat line still read: 36 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, and a +18 in 41 minutes of game, with just 2 turnovers.
Even Kerr was impressed by this near triple-double outing as he mentioned post-game, “He’s Steph Curry. He’s one [of the] greatest players of all time. He’s 37. He’s one of the most well-conditioned athletes I’ve ever seen in my life. To play 41 minutes against that kind of defense, to have a slow start and then find his rhythm, which we have seen him do countless times over the years, to hit big shots, to only turn it over twice against that kind of pressure, he was brilliant.”
However, it wasn’t as easy for Curry as he made it look. During a stretch of almost nine-minutes in the first half, the Warriors only scored four points. Meanwhile, Steph only took four shots in the first quarter with no help from his supporting cast. Golden State was down by 13 points with 5:16 minutes in the first half. But then the tides changed. Curry scored 13 points in a 24-12 Warriors run, ending the second quarter with three points in deficit at halftime. With that second quarter rush, GSW truly made this home game count, despite being a brutal one.
“This series, no game is going to be pretty,” Curry said after the game on the ABC broadcast. “You just kinda have to grind it out. We had 22 points halfway through the second quarter. You wonder: How are we going to score? You just stick with it and make the right plays.”
So, the ABC announcers publicly demanding that Steph gets the same level of respect and appreciation as LeBron for his continuous efforts should not go unnoticed. The Rockets series is only making his case stronger.
