In Game 3, Curry rocks, Warriors roll
OAKLAND, Calif.— Stephen Curry shook, shimmied and screamed, letting his adoring fans and the Rockets know that Oracle Arena was his house.
Once the two- time MVP got his groove back, Houston was helpless.
Curry scored 35 points with five threepointers as the Warriors made a second- half statement by beating the Rockets 126- 85 on Sunday night for a 2- 1 lead in the Western Conference finals.
Curry had 18 points on 7- for- 7 shooting in the third quarter, lying with his back flat on the court for his unique version of a snow angel and even following one basket with an expletive, shouting “This is my . . . house!” to the thousands who cheered and exhaled, exhilarated by his every move and rumble.
“There’s obviously that anticipation when you come in transition and you find an open look and there’s a collective hush in the crowd, especially in this building,” Curry said. “It’s a cool moment. I was searching for it in the first half. I had plenty of opportunities, I just couldn’t knock it down. Third quarter it opened up. I’ve been doing it for a while. I won’t let two tough games shooting keep me frustrated.”
Of riding the emotion with his shot— after so many questions about his perceived struggles so far this series — Curry said: “You’ve got to be your biggest fan sometimes.”
The 41- point victory was the largest in franchise history during the postseason, topping a 39- point win — 85- 46 — by the Philadelphia-Warriors against the St. Louis Bombers on April 6, 1948.
Kevin Durant added 25 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Draymond Green grabbed 17 rebounds to go with 10 points and six assists. It was Durant’s 20th consecutive postseason game with 20 or more points.
The Warriors won an NBA- record 16th consecutive home postseason game, surpassing the Bulls’ mark of 15 in a row from April 27, 1990, to May 21, 1991.
“We’re in the middle of a hell of a run, obviously,” coach Steve Kerr said.
James Harden had 20 points and nine assists, while Chris Paul added 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets. They combined to shoot just 12- for- 32.
Game 4 is Tuesday night at Oracle Arena.