Stephen Curry carried Golden State in the second half of Game 6 against the Rockets Friday night in Houston, and he knocked James Harden and Chris Paul out of the playoffs by scoring 33 points after halftime and making clutch shots in the final minutes to seal the win.
Curry entered Game 6 shooting just 26 percent from three in the series, and he was held scoreless in the first half after getting into early foul trouble in the first quarter. Klay Thompson went off in the first half to keep the game close, and Curry found his shot in the second.
The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II reported Saturday that Curry had planned to practice Thursday night inside the Toyota Center in an effort to regain his form, but Chris Paul showed up and kicked Curry off the court. Curry referenced the incident as he celebrated the Game 6 victory, screaming “kick me off the court again.”
Via The Athletic:
“On the night before Friday’s Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals, after arriving from the Bay Area, Curry wanted to get some shots up at Toyota Center. The Warriors’ do-it-all manager, Eric Housen, booked the court from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. so Curry could work on his shot. Somehow, Rockets guard Chris Paul got wind. He decided to go to Toyota Center to get shots up, nixing Curry’s reservations. The Warriors’ point guard offered to stick to half a court, but Paul wasn’t having it. Curry was kicked off the Toyota Center court.
Hence: “Kick me off the court again, boy!” And Green replied to Curry’s taunt by screaming, “Kick him off! Kick him off!”
Had the Rockets gone on to win the series, Paul’s intervention would have gone down as a legendary bit of gamesmanship. Instead, it’s just another thing fans will be taunting the Rockets over in the years to come, as it appears Houston’s title window may be closing.
Curry has been dealing with an injury that may have affected his performance earlier in the series, as he suffered a dislocated finger on his left hand in Game 2. Commentators remarked on Friday that Curry’s hand seemed to be bothering him, but that didn’t stop him from putting up huge numbers.
