This season has not been kind to the Golden State Warriors, as just one year after winning the NBA Championship, they have hovered around the .500 mark for the entire season. The biggest reason behind their struggles has been their inability to win on the road.
On Monday night, however, they broke that trend, taking down the Houston Rockets away from home. It was a relatively close game through the first three quarters, but in the fourth, Golden State broke it open. After the game, Stephen Curry broke down what happened, including name-dropping Klay Thompson for his big shot late in the contest.
“Having 14 turnovers in the first half was rough,” Curry said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “We could never really create enough separation. And then [in the] second half, we were a little bit more mindful. I think we only had four turnovers and got decent shots. We didn’t make as many as we wanted to, but we got stops. Ran in transition. Played pretty disciplined. They made a little run. We got a little sloppy for two minutes there down the stretch but got back to good offense [and] connecting the game. Klay hits a big shot. And somebody else hit a shot. But it was just mindful basketball that we needed to finish strong.”
Thompson played very well against the Rockets. He ended the night with 29 points, seven rebounds, and one assist on 11-of-21 shooting from the field and 5-of-13 shooting from behind the three-point line.
As for Curry, he also put up solid numbers. The superstar point guard finished the game with 30 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals on 10-of-23 shooting from the floor and 5-of-15 shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
Steve Kerr Sounds Off on Stephen Curry
Prior to their win over Houston, the Warriors fell to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night. After that game, in which Curry struggled, Steve Kerr explained the point guard’s rough shooting night.
“I thought the schedule kind of caught up a little bit to Steph,” Kerr said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “Back-to-back. I think [it was the] third [game] in four nights. A lot of travel. The first game he’s had since he’s been back that he didn’t shoot well. And [Dillon] Brooks did a good job defensively. But all in all, it felt like Steph’s legs just weren’t quite there tonight. And it’s going to happen. At 35, there are going to be some nights where, especially on a back-to-back with a lot of travel involved, flying across the country, all that stuff, sometimes it catches up to you when you’re a little older. But he’ll be fine.”
Stephen Curry Praises Jonathan Kuminga
In addition, after the Grizzlies game, Curry showed love to Jonathan Kuminga. The Warriors youngster scored a team-high 24 points in the loss.
“The biggest thing is just competing on both ends of the floor,” Curry said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “Being decisive. Offensively, the way that they were defending us, he had good looks, and there was no second-guessing shots he was taking, which is great because you got to make them pay for the way they kind of shade on the rest of the side of the court. He has to be aggressive. So, when he’s out there, especially with certain lineups, he’s going to get those shots. You have to be assertive and decisive, and he did that really well. Especially early. [He] gave us a lot of life and energy. And then, the rest of it on defense, and just as energy. He’s just competing. No matter who he’s guarding, being within the structure of our defense, using his athleticism, and trying to do it without fouling, which is even more growth for him. So, to play as much as he did, he made an impact, and it was good for us.”
