Thompson completed a four-point play with 1.4 seconds remaining in the third quarter to give Golden State a 91-81 edge entering the fourth.

It’s all the dirty work and we love him for it.” After 20 first-half points, he pressed the attack in the third quarter as the Warriors pulled away along with Kevon Looney, who grabbed 21 rebounds. It will be a waiting game.”Īsked how the ankle felt, Butler said, “Like a rolled ankle.”Īt Sacramento, the Kings had no answer for Curry in the winner-take-all battle. I don’t even know if we will know more by tomorrow. “No idea,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. The series continues Tuesday at New York but Butler’s status will steal the spotlight until then. In Sunday’s other playoff contest, Butler scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Miami over the host New York Knicks 108-101 in their Eastern Conference second-round opener but suffered a right ankle injury. “We’re blessed to be playing at this level still and excited about a new chapter.” “It’s special from the first series we played him in Cleveland,” Curry said. Golden State faced a James-led Cleveland in four straight NBA Finals, winning three of them. The Warriors next face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in a Western Conference semifinal matchup starting on Tuesday. “This is a game seven I’ll forever remember as the Steph Curry game.” “What an incredible all-time performance,” Curry’s backcourt teammate Klay Thompson said.

Heck of a performance.”Ĭurry’s 50 points were a career playoff high and the most points in any NBA Game 7 - breaking the old mark of 48 set by Kevin Durant for Brooklyn in a 2021 loss to Milwaukee. “Give Steph a ton of credit for doing exactly what he’s supposed to do. He put these guys on his back and said, ‘We’re not losing,’” Kings coach Mike Brown said. We started to see where the holes were and I could be ultra aggressive and it worked.”Ĭurry also added eight rebounds and six assists. “It was about being aggressive,” Curry said. The 35-year-old guard delivered an incredible performance, hitting 20 of a career-high 38 shot attempts and going 7-of-18 from 3-point range and 3-of-5 from the free throw line. “But when I’m looking for shots, it usually works in our favor.” “I just wanted to come out and look for shots early, get my teammates going throughout the game,” Curry said. NEW YORK: Stephen Curry scored 50 points in a record-shattering performance Sunday to send the defending champion Golden State Warriors into the second round of the NBA playoffs while a Jimmy Butler ankle injury raised tensions for the triumphant Miami Heat.Ĭurry, a four-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, was nearly unstoppable as the Warriors won 120-100 at Sacramento to capture their best-of-seven Western Conference series 4-3.

Playing Dead by Tim Bowler