Curry sharper since crushing defeat to Cavs on Christmas
The jokes started during the ninth hole of the Safeway Open pro-am in October. After getting to know his partner a bit, professional golfer and Cavaliers fan Harold Varner III ribbed Stephen Curry about Golden State’s 2016 NBA Finals collapse.
“Once he tested the waters, he didn’t hold back the rest of the way,” Curry recalled after Warriors practice Sunday.
The two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player has given Cleveland supporters plenty of ammo in recent months. During Golden State’s four-game skid against the Cavaliers, which dates to Game 5 of the Finals, Curry has averaged 21.8 points on 36.6 percent shooting with more turnovers (15) than assists (10).
After shooting just 4-of-11 from the field in the Warriors’ loss to Cleveland on Christmas, Curry endured his share of criticism. He was hardly a factor during a fourth quarter in which the Cavaliers overcame a 14-point deficit. While
Kyrie Irving hit the game-winning jumper over Klay Thompson with 3.4 seconds left, Curry watched from the bench.
It was the nadir of a prolonged slump (at least by his lofty standards). More important for Golden State, it was the impetus for a different approach. Curry talked with head coach Steve
Kerr after that loss about involving him in more pick-and-roll situations with Kevin Durant.
With the ball in his hands far more over the past eight games, Curry has averaged 27.1 points on 48.1 percent shooting. His 20 shots per game during that stretch are 3.2 more than his season average before Christmas.
Still, Curry has room for improvement: He had a season-high eight turnovers in Thursday’s rout of Detroit, including six in the first quarter. Cutting down on giveaways will be critical Monday given that, the last time the Warriors faced the Cavaliers, their 19 turnovers resulted in 21 points for Cleveland.
“I had six turnovers in the first quarter (Thursday), and I remember every single one of them,” Curry said. “It wasn’t any bone-headed mistakes until the second half, when I threw a pass right to the other team. Before that, it wasn’t really any mental lapses. It was just execution and timing. I can live with those, as long as it doesn’t become a habit, obviously.” Jones recalled: Rookie center Damian Jones was recalled Sunday from Golden State’s NBA Development League affiliate in Santa Cruz. After poor conditioning and foul trouble limited him in his first six DLeague stints, Jones averaged 10 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in 27.3 minutes in six games during his latest assignment.
“He’s playing with more confidence,” Kerr said. “He’s playing with more energy. I think that was good for him to be down there for an extended period of time.”