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Steph Curry watched from the sidelines on Thursday when the OKC Thunder overwhelmed the shorthanded Golden State Warriors. Without Curry and the suspended Draymond Green, the Thunder carved out a 128-109 win. The loss sent the Dubs to their fifth straight and dropped their record to 6-7. Now with the legendary point guard back in the lineup, the Warriors are hoping to even the season series tonight.
Early in the first quarter, Warriors fans saw what they had been missing when Curry sat out with right knee soreness. He didn’t show off his trademark deadly shooting but put on another scintillating part of his game that is often overlooked:
Following a scramble, Steph Curry grabbed the loose ball as he was relentlessly hounded by Jalen Williams. A behind-the-back followed by a between-the-legs dribble had Williams in trouble trying to stay in front of Curry.
Knowing OKC’s backline defense was ready, Curry didn’t hesitate to zoom into the line to face the towering Chet Holmgren. The 6-foot-3 point guard knew the 7-foot-1 Holmgren would send his shot to the second row if he went directly up for the basket. Instead, the two-time MVP bumped into the young center to force contact and then shielded the ball with his body.
The referee had to call a foul as the force of the impact sent Steph Curry sprawling on the ground. Dub Nation lustily cheered the focus, determination and IQ of their team’s best player in that sequence.
Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors are desperately trying to snap out of their funk
Steph Curry has been playing great since the season started. At one point, they were one of the hottest teams in the NBA when they reeled off five straight wins from Oct. 27 to Nov. 3. Since then, they’ve been 1-6, including five consecutive losses.
The Golden State Warriors nearly managed to snap out of their skid on Nov. 14 in a controversial game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Curry wasn’t available due to right knee soreness while Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were ejected two minutes into the game.
Behind rookie Brandin Podziemski, who had a team-high 23 points, the Warriors almost walked away with the win. They couldn’t get over the hump and limped to a 104-101 defeat.
Two days later, they had little chance against the hungry and scorching-hot OKC Thunder. Isaiah Joe went 7-7 from deep, the main reason why the Thunder shot 59.4% (19-32) from behind the arc. Without Curry, Oklahoma’s firepower seemed too much.
Steph Curry is playing tonight and the Golden State Warriors are playing with a more energetic vibe. They are hustling more and their execution has been more precise. Dub Nation will be hoping they blast out of their funk versus the Thunder.
