"The chessboard changes with Draymond out there with Steph" - Steve Kerr gives a breakdown on Draymond Green's return having a significant impact on Steph Curry's game
Steph Curry cooked something special for his birthday against the Washington Wizards on Monday. Curry exploded for 47 points in the Golden State Warriors' 126-112 win at Chase Center. But more importantly for the Warriors, Draymond Green made his return after more than two months out because of a back injury.
Curry, who turned 34 years old on Monday, was simply unstoppable as he torched the Wizards with seven 3-pointers. He also had six rebounds, six assists and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.
47 Points on his B-DAY! 🎂 47 Points on his B-DAY! 🎂
@StephenCurry30 celebrated his birthday with 47 points, 7 three-pointers and the @warriors win! #DubNation
47 PTS | 6 REB | 6 AST | 7 3PM https://t.co/tMlqIzgEGt
Meanwhile, Green surprisingly came off the bench to play limited minutes. He finished with six points, seven rebounds and six assists but had the highest +/- for the Warriors at plus-24.
It was Draymond's first game as a sub since 2014. It was also the first time Golden State's original "Big Three" was together since Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.
Klay Thompson chipped in with 20 points and four rebounds in the easy win.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr explained how the return of Green impacts Curry's game for the rest of the regular season. Kerr noted that Green is an important part of the offense and defense. Kerr said Green will be a game-changer as the Warriors (47-22) pursue at least the second seed in the West.
"The game changed immediately when he got out there," Kerr said. "In a lot of different ways. It changed for Steph right away. As soon as Draymond got out there, he had an assist to him in like five seconds in.
"The chessboard changes with Draymond out there with Steph. Everything looks and feels a little bit different, and it’s tougher to navigate defensively for our opponent."
Draymond checks in and immediately gets Steph going with a dime!
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Steph Curry, Warriors look to secure playoff spot as soon as possible
With the Golden State Warriors' win over the Washington Wizards on Monday, they are now tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the second spot in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies own the tiebreaker, but the two teams have identical 47-22 records.
Steph Curry and the Warriors are finally hitting their stride again as Monday's win was their fourth in a row. Golden State will host the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs before going on a five-game road trip to face the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Wizards and Grizzlies.
DUBS WIN https://t.co/8jxbwacgNo
The final six games for the Warriors will be against the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans. It won't be an easy schedule for Golden State, but Curry, Thompson and Green look ready to take the Warriors to postseason glory.