"It's not gonna be a smooth ride" - Stephen Curry reflects on loss after Golden State fail to sweep the Denver Nuggets
Stephen Curry had some sage advice for the Golden State Warriors after they lost to the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series.
Curry scored 33 points and dished out eight assists but could not stop the Nuggets from pulling off a 126-121 win in Denver on Sunday. It was the fourth straight game where Curry came off the bench for the Warriors following his return from a leg injury.
Speaking to the media after the loss, Stephen Curry said the result was a "good test" for Golden State. The eight-time All-Star said:
"You'd love to keep rolling like we were and not feel what losing's like in the playoffs, but I think it's a good test for us. We caught our way back and took a lead [121-119] with a minute left, minute-and-a-half-left. Had a chance to win despite playing inconsistent basketball and then obviously they come away with the win tonight."
Curry added that the scoreline was a reflection of how one cannot take things for granted at this stage. He remarked:
"It's a reminder of how hard it is to win at this level, the importance of every possession and the things that you can control if you're trying to get to where you want to go. You'll get exposed if you don't, no matter who you're playing against."
Curry concluded with some strong words of wisdom:
"You gotta assume as you go through the playoffs, it's not gonna be a smooth ride, adversity within the game, adversity if you lose the game, how you bounce back, show what your DNA is made of."
"It was kind of a miracle at that point"- Stephen Curry about Golden State Warriors' comeback in Game 4
The Golden State Warriors got off to an extremely slow start in Game 4. They trailed by 17 points (23-40) early in the second quarter and by 11 at the half (52-63).
However, the second half saw the Warriors make an impressive comeback as they outscored their opponents 69-56 up until the final minute-and-a-half. The Denver Nuggets then scored seven straight points over the last 90 seconds to seal the game.
Stephen Curry lauded Golden State's better team play over the final two quarters, saying it was a "miracle" for them to take the lead given their subpar start.
He said:
"Second half was better. We were much more cohesive as a group in terms of creating good shots and taking care of the ball. But we gave up way too much life in the first half... The fact that we had a lead with a minute and a half just speaks to who we are. But it was kind of a miracle at that point."