Once Stephen Curry got hot, it was game over for the Thunder
In a desperate scenario, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry left everyone on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the dust.
Curry’s 17-point third quarter was one of the best and most valuable by a player this postseason. His 35 15-point quarters (including postseason) are easily the most in the NBA (James Harden ranks second with 24).
His 17 points matched his most in a period this postseason. He also had 17 when he set a record for points in an overtime against the Trail Blazers in the previous round.
Curry snapped a scoring drought of 16 minutes, 57 seconds by scoring 12 points in 82 seconds. Over a span of just over four-and-a-half minutes, he went 5-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and outscored Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant 17-2.
Curry’s third quarter was helped by getting free of Westbrook. Curry scored five points on 28 plays in which Westbrook finished the possession guarding him. But in the third quarter, he finished only five possessions as Curry’s defender. Curry scored 14 of his 17 points when guarded by someone other than Westbrook. Curry was 5-of-5 overall (3-of-3 from 3-point range) on uncontested attempts in the third quarter. He had one uncontested shot in the first half.
And on the other side of the court
The biggest adjustment that the Warriors made in guarding Westbrook was shifting Klay Thompson onto him. Thompson guarded Westbrook on only two of 21 shot attempts in Game 1. In Game 2, Westbrook was 2-of-8 against him.
