Curry takes shot at extending family legacy

Steph Curry, his Hall of Fame reservation firm, was bounced with the Golden State Warriors from the first round of the playoffs.

Dell Curry, one of the great shooters of his generation, is long retired,

So that leaves Seth Curry to uphold the family pride as the 76ers proceed through the postseason.

“I don’t listen to people, to be honest, but there are one or two in my family, and I think you know who they are,” the 76ers’ shooting guard was saying Friday, after a shootaround from Atlanta. “Other than that, I get encouraging texts and good stuff on Facebook from the aunties and grandmas and stuff. But I don’t listen to much, basketball-wise. I just focus on what I have to do.”

Through the Sixers’ first seven

playoff games, Curry had provided plenty, making 20 of his 44 three-point attempts. In the first two games of the Atlanta series, he was, well, Currylike, shooting 15-for-25 overall, including 10-for-15 from the arc.

Though Curry had started 78 regular-season games in his first seven NBA seasons, he became a full-time starter for the first time in his career this season.

“I was good enough,” he said. “It was a matter of getting an opportunity

and making the most of it. I had confidence in myself and I maximized what I do best.”

Curry shot 46.7 percent from the field this season, roughly his career average of 47.3. The difference was that he was doing it against opposing teams’ top units.

“I’m just doing what I’ve done my whole career,” he said. “I don’t think it was one of my best shooting regular seasons. To be honest, I had a couple of bad stretches. But I just keep it simple and do what I do.”

Along with Danny Green, who was injured early in Game 3 in Atlanta Friday night, Curry provided the shooting the Sixers needed to pull defenders

from Joel Embiid and to maximize the drive-anddish abilities of Ben Simmons.

“I think a lot of us knew how well he should shoot the ball,” Rivers said. “But what we didn’t know is how good a playmaker he could be. And he’s been that for us.”

Since Rivers is Seth’s father-in-law, there is at least another honorary Curry still in the playoffs. As for his brother, Steph, and his father, Dell, they can have a long-distance rooting interest.

“I don’t look at him like a father-in-law, I look at him like a coach,” Rivers said. “When you’re on the floor, it’s not lovey-dovey or anything

like that.”

••• Rivers, who enjoys telling his players that he was once a pretty good player himself, can’t understand why they don’t believe he had an impressive vertical leap.

“I tell them, ‘You guys do know I am named Doc,” he said. “That’s not after a real doctor. That’s after a guy who could jump.”

Rivers’ real first name is Glenn, but he earned the nickname while playing for Marquette, where he was known to wear the occasional Julius Erving t-shirt.

••• Tobias Harris is among five finalists for the first Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social

Justice Award.

The prize will recognize a current NBA player “for pursuing social justice and advancing Abdul-Jabbar’s life mission to engage, empower and drive equality for individuals and groups who have been historically marginalized or systemically disadvantaged.”

Portland’s Carmelo Anthony, Harrison Barnes of the Kings, former Sixer Jrue Holiday of the Bucks and Warrior Juan ToscanoAnderson are the other candidates.

The winner will receive a $100,000 donation to a social-justice concern of his choosing. The designated organizations of the

Champion four runners-up will $25,000 apiece.

••• While Curry had thrived in Games 1 and 2, Green shot 1-for-9 from threepoint distance. Including Game 5 of the Washington series, he was 2-for-14 from the arc heading into Game 3.

“We don’t worry about it,” Rivers said. “Of those nine, six were good shots. Three we would pass on. I still give him the freedom to shoot, because at the end of the day, that’s what he does.” receive ••• Game 4 is Monday at 7:30 in Atlanta. Game 5 is at the Wells Fargo Center Wednesday.