Golden State Warriors: 3 Reasons Warriors Are On Track

Stephen Curry Got Hot

At halftime, the Golden State Warriors held a six-point lead. Subtract Stephen Curry’s points and they would still have lead the Trail Blazers. His five points compared to Damian Lillard’s 22 at the break was a ready-made headline for Curry’s struggles to start the season.

Those struggles disappeared with the flick of the net in the wake of his first shot in the third, a three-pointer that started the fire. 12 minutes later, and Curry went from five to 28 points overall after a scorching quarter.

What many casual fans do not realize is that the best version of Stephen Curry is not the one who pulls up from 30-feet every time he crosses half-court. Yes, Curry is the best shooter in league history, and yes he can hit that shot consistently.

But the best version of Stephen Curry is one who scores all across the court.

During the third quarter Curry was everywhere, giving the ball up to Draymond Green and Ian Clark and racing past screens and helpless defenders. He had multiple catch-and-shoot three-pointers on the right wing, often with a recovering defender tickling his chin.

Curry was also active at the rim, streaking towards the basket and catching a pocket pass before laying it in. On one such play he received the pass, ducked under the hoop, and used his body to shield the layup from two defenders. And-one, three points the old-fashioned way.

Kevin Durant still leads the team in scoring, and that is fine. Stephen Curry doesn’t have to top the statistical leaderboards. But for the Golden State Warriors to be dominant, he needs nights like Tuesday when he is active and hitting shots from everywhere.

Once that third quarter began, Portland never stood a chance.