9 hours Ago By Joseph Dycus
HOUSTON – After teammate Jimmy Butler went down with a pelvic injury in Game 2 of the Warriors’ first-round playoff series with the Rockets, Steph Curry was not interested in portraying himself as a lone superhero ready to save the day.Butler dubbed himself “Robin” to Curry’s “Batman” late in the regular season, paying homage to the iconic crime fighters from the DC comic series and indicating he was happy to take a backseat to his superstar teammate.“I’m not too familiar with the comic world,” Curry said after the Warriors’ 109-94 loss.
“I don’t have any other references other than we’ve just got to find a way to win.”That doesn’t mean Curry, who surpassed the 4,000-point mark for his playoff career on Wednesday, cannot single-handedly carry the Warriors to a victory.Even if Butler plays on Saturday with what ESPN’s Shams Charania reported was a “deep glute muscle contusion,” there is a good chance he will be a diminished version of his usually stellar all-around self (17.
9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game).
For most teams, an injury to a player of Butler’s caliber would spell doom for any postseason ambitions.Most teams do not have Steph Curry, though.Even at age 37, he is the most feared shooter in the league.
The NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers led the league in long-distance makes with 4.4 per game and averaged 24.5 points per game this regular season.
Even so, Curry believed the team’s only path to victory was through a complete team effort against the Rockets, who held the Warriors to under 100 points in each of the first two playoff games.“It’s been by committee, maybe not scoring-wise, but in terms of pieces fitting, and connecting in the game offensively and defensively, “ Curry said. “So whoever’s out there, we still have confidence that we can win.
”Butler reinvigorated the Warriors with his arrival in early February, but Curry has previously proven he can produce without a second star.In Game 3 of the 2019 Finals, facing Kawhi Leonard and an elite Raptors defense without co-stars Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, Curry scored 47 points.During the 2020-21 season, a year played without Thompson, Curry led the league in scoring at 32.
0 points per game.And before Butler arrived this season, Curry had a slew of high-scoring performances in Warriors wins.Curry scored 37 points in a 120-117 November victory over the Luka Doncic-led Mavericks, and 36 points in another early-season victory over the Thunder, who finished with the league’s best record.
He also topped 35 in two close losses to the Lakers, elevating on the big stage.Related ArticlesJimmy Butler injury update: Warriors forward “in serious jeopardy” for Game 3, per reportDraymond Green misses out on second Defensive Player of the Year awardAlijah Arenas, son of former Warrior Gilbert, in serious condition after Cybertruck crashJonathan Kuminga ‘stayed ready’ for the Warriors. What will he do with his second chance?Kurtenbach: Warriors-Rockets is mutually assured destructionOf course, it would be easier for the Warriors if Butler could play, even if he was hobbled.
Curry’s four highest-scoring nights of the season have occurred after the blockbuster trade for Butler in early February, and the Rockets have sold out to try to stop the man who has tormented them for a decade.But even without Butler, Curry knows what needs to be done against an elite Rockets defense.“They try to keep a fresh body on you, trying to take away a lot of the off-ball stuff, which we know is our pet actions to get me free if they’re going to trap the ball screens and all of that,” Curry said.
“But I’m seeing a good picture, and understanding where the space is, and I’ll make the necessary adjustments for Game 3.”.
