Steph Curry on a layup. May 20, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the basketball against Houston Rockets guard Gerald Green (14) and guard Eric Gordon (10) during the first half in game three of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Rockets 126-85. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA’s Western Conference Finals saw back-and-forth showings in the first two games in Houston, with the Golden State Warriors winning Game 1 on the road 119-106 Monday and the hometown Rockets winning Game 2 127-105 Wednesday. The series shifted to Oakland for Game 3 Sunday, and Golden State bounced back from that Game 2 loss in a big way, putting up a 126-85 win that was historic on several levels. In 295 playoff games, the Rockets had never previously lost by 41, and in 319 playoff games of their own, the Warriors had never won by 41. And this showing was led by a player much-criticized in the series so far and even in the first half: Steph Curry.

Curry, who missed over a month following  a MCL injury in March, has had some good moments since returning in these playoffs, including a 28-point showing in his first game back (Game 2 against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second round). But he’s also had his struggles, including in Game 2 (16 points on 36.8 percent shooting), and many have wondered how healthy he was. And in the first half, Curry still seemed a bit off, connecting on only one of seven three-point attempts, and causing many to some question if he could step it up. But the Warriors still led 54-43 at the half, and Curry really hit his stride after the break, pouring in 26 second-half points to help Golden State pull away. He finished with a game-high 35 points on 13 of 23 shooting, including a five of 12 performance from deep, and several absurd shots:

That last one came with a NSFW comment afterwards:

And Curry even brought out the shimmy celebration after one deep three pointer:

That’s quite the night from Curry and the Warriors, and it certainly has them in pretty good position. They’re now up 2-1 in the series, with another home game to come before they have to head back to Houston. The Rockets have already bounced back after a double-digit loss in this series, but it might be even harder after a 41-point defeat. We’ll see how they do when Game 4 tips off Tuesday night.

[NBA.com]

About Andrew Bucholtz

Andrew Bucholtz has been covering sports media for Awful Announcing since 2012. He is also a staff writer for The Comeback. His previous work includes time at Yahoo! Sports Canada and Black Press.

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