The coming days will determine the seriousness of that right balloon on Curry’s right elbow, as he tumbled into the stands during the first half and came out with a swollen shooting limb.
Advertisement
Warriors guard Stephen Curry practiced in preparation to play in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, wearing a sleeve over the elbow he had hit on a metal platform. “It looks like it has a tennis ball on top of it….” “I just played till I heard the whistle”, Westbrook said.
“The bench was great”, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
Sure, it was just one game, but Monday night’s win at Golden State showed the Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t just out for a good showing after already defying expectations by dispatching the San Antonio Spurs in the semifinals.
After putting up 27 points, 12 assists, six rebounds and seven steals in Game 1, Westbrook scored just 16 points on 14 shots in Game 2, registering two steals and one rebound. The Warriors, the record-breaking 73-9 team, seemed to be cruising at home to a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals. Curry would go on to score a ridiculous 15 points an less than two minutes, to outscore the Thunder by 13 during that span.
The series now shifts to Oklahoma City for Games Three and Four on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively.
“Obviously we let Curry get loose a few times and we need to do a better job in that area”.
Here’s a mind-blowing stat many missed in Wednesday’s win: Golden State scored 30 points in the second quarter, and only 4 of those points came from Curry, Klay Thompson or Draymond Green.
Curry has previously sustained knee and ankle injuries that kept him out of playoff games.
“It’s fine”, Curry said Friday. He made a 3-pointer with 7:09 left in the quarter. But I think that’s not as invasive a procedure, if necessary.
It’s why the Warriors averaged 121.3 points, 52 percent field-goal shooting, 46 percent on three-point shots and a scoring margin of +15 points after losses this season.
With Curry having gone scoreless from the final minute of the first quarter until the fifth minute of the third, the Warriors found themselves in another tough tussle with the third-seeded Thunder until the two-time Most Valuable Player singlehandedly created some separation.
Golden State was named “Sports Team of the year” and owner Joe Lacob “Sports Executive of the Year” at the Ninth Annual Sports Business Awards in NY. We know it’s easier said than done.
Advertisement
The Warriors’ bench scoring also became a huge factor in the outcome of the game.
