West Conf. Finals - Game 3: Houston Rockets 85-126 Golden State Warriors - Warriors' Player Ratings
What a statement Game 3 win by the Golden State Warriors.
They were the team heading into the 3-day break after a 22-point loss in Game 2 last Wednesday but like true champions, they gave a fitting reply on their home floor to the league's best team through the regular season - the Houston Rockets. It's wasn't just a retaliation punch, this Game 3 win could be considered a knockout, a game where the series really turned.
Their 41-point margin of victory is their largest in franchise postseason history. It is also the Rockets' largest margin of defeat in their franchise's Playoff history. A huge reason for the dominating Game 3 victory was their franchise MVP Stephen Curry finally finding his groove offensively.
So, without any further ado, let's start our Warriors' Player Ratings with Curry:
Stephen Curry 9/10
Stat line: 35 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block on 13-23 FG's (26 points in 2nd half)
Heading back to the locker rooms after the first half, Curry was still searching for his rhythm offensively. At the end of 24 minutes, he had 9 points on 3-11 shooting. Clearly, that's still not the Curry many expected to explode in Game 3.
Well, that explosion came in the second half. Curry scored 26 of his 35 points in the second half with a ridiculous efficiency of 10-of-12 shooting (4-5 3s). 18 of those 26 points came in the vaunted third quarter, a period the Warriors absolutely dominate. This game too, they outscored the Rockets 34-24, only adding to their lead which was already 11 at halftime.
It's safe to say that Curry had his second "I'm back" moment of his career especially with all the storylines leading up to this game. He got comfortable offensively but his Game 3 was about "a half" and not an entire game. To be honest, Draymond Green said it best "I've seen crazier from him [Curry]"