SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry stepped out on the court two hours ahead of tipoff against the Brooklyn Nets — about 45 minutes ahead of his normal warmup time slot.
He went through the exact same routine — pointing up in the stands with assistant coach Bruce Frasier, taking shots all the way from half-court and finishing with a soccer-inspired dribble routine. But switching up his timing was a big change. One he thought was needed.
«It was just a call of just trying to get some space before the game, a little more time to get right, and it paid off,» Curry said.
Curry fueled Golden State to a much-needed 124-120 win over the Nets, finishing with 37 points on 14-of-22 shooting, including 6-of-8 from 3. He also surpassed the 3,500-made 3-pointers mark.
His most important stretch came several hours after his early warmup — about five minutes into the fourth quarter. On the brink of losing another double-digit lead, Curry erupted for 10 points in 1 minute, 40 seconds, breathing life back into a team that looked to be losing its pulse.
«Steph has had to carry this team, let’s be honest,» Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. «And then the Draymond [Green] news, he was emotionally spent the last few days. And it was a slow start tonight. Then, as he’s done so often, he flipped the switch. You can kind of see when it happens right away. And he was incredible.»
The Warriors ballooned to an 18-point lead in the first half — but slow starts haven’t been this team’s issue lately. It’s been the second quarter and closing minutes.
It looked to be heading in the direction of another poor fate in the third quarter. And then even more so in the fourth. The same issues were hurting Golden State — ill-advised fouls and sloppy turnovers — and it felt as though Brooklyn couldn’t miss a shot.
Cam Thomas finished with 41 points, his 6th 40-point game in 2023, tied for the second most in a calendar year in Nets history.
By the time Nets coach Jacque Vaughn called timeout with 2:41 left in the third, they trailed by just four points. They outscored Golden State 35-25 that period.
But three minutes into the fourth quarter, Curry had to stop the bleeding. And he did.
Curry danced on Thomas with 6:16 left in the game. He shuffled from outside of the 3-point arc, to inside, to back out, with Thomas trying to keep up with every move. With just enough space created, Curry launched a 3.
About one minute later, Curry found himself with no one within a foot of him. So he launched another. And 40 seconds after that, he launched a third, forcing the Nets to call timeout.
Over the past several games, Curry has shown far more emotion than usual — kicking a chair in Phoenix, for example. As he made his way to the bench during Brooklyn’s timeout, he bumped chests with Gary Payton II, as the two repeatedly screamed in each other’s faces. But this outburst of emotion was a positive one.
It’s what Golden State needed.
«[That sequence] gave us confidence,» Kerr said. «I think that’s the biggest issue when you’re struggling, maybe you’re a little spent. You have to find confidence. So I think Steph just infuses us with confidence.»
Klay Thompson added: «He willed us to victory. We appreciate him. Hopefully tomorrow we can help shoulder the load a little more. He was special tonight, just his ability to create shots and make shots from all over the floor. … I am grateful for Steph’s performance tonight.»
As Kerr and Thompson alluded to, Curry has been shouldering a heavy burden for Golden State all season.
But against the Nets, Thompson provided help, scoring 24 points on 7-of-19 shooting, including four 3-pointers. Thompson has scored 54 points over the past two games — since his crunch-time benching in Phoenix.
With Green suspended indefinitely, the Warriors are in desperate need of Thompson to regain his form, as Curry continues to search for consistent help.
«It’s not just me. I can’t go win a game by myself,» Curry said. «I can play well, and I have to play well. I know that. But I don’t [play] the game by myself. There’s definitely pressure, and I live for those types of moments. But there are guys getting opportunities to step up. … Confidence is starting to build.»