Sunday 12 May 2019 08:52, UK
Stephen Curry said he and his Golden State team-mates knew they had to step up in the absence of leading scorer Kevin Durant in the Warriors' Game 6 win over the Houston Rockets.
Curry experienced two contrasting halves of playoff basketball in the Warriors' series-clinching 118-113 Game 6 victory.
The two-time MVP was held scoreless through the first two quarters before erupting for 33 second-half points, including 23 in the decisive fourth quarter - both personal playoff highs.
In the end, Curry hit nine of his 20 shots, including 4-of-11 from three-point range. He also supplied five rebounds and four assists. In the final 3:09, Curry connected with two clutch three-pointers and a driving lay-up to earn the Warriors a 107-104 lead heading into the final minute of the game.
After Klay Thompson delivered a dagger triple with 36.1 seconds remaining to double the lead to six points, Curry calmly made 8-of-8 free throws in the final 30 seconds to seal the series win as the Rockets repeatedly fouled to stop the clock.
Speaking on court immediately after the Warriors' victory, Curry said: "We stayed composed. We've been here before, won a big game, done it on the road. We miss our guy [Durant]. We know he is going to be back.
"But we had to have his back. This whole playoff run he has been the best player in the league. He has carried us. The least we could do was have his back tonight, move onto the next round and give ourselves a chance to be at full strength the rest of the way."
Asked about his scoreless first half, Curry said: "It's always tough when I get in foul trouble and I'm in and out of the game. In the locker room, guys were telling me to keep my head and that the floodgates would open at some point. I knew if I could get on the court and play consistent minutes I would be able to do something."
The Warriors outscored the Rockets 36-26 in the fourth quarter and Curry praised his team-mate's efforts on the defensive end of the floor.
"The fourth quarter was amazing. We played amazing defense. Our numbers in second halves defensively are off the charts and we knew over the course of 48 minutes we'd have a chance to steal this game," he said. "We took shots we knew we could make and they went in. It's a big-time win for us."
The Western Conference Finals commence in Oakland in the early hours of Wednesday morning - the Warriors will face either the Portland Trail Blazers or the Denver Nuggets.
