OAKLAND — Minutes after the Warriors dispatched the Houston Rockets in Game 5 on Wednesday night, Stephen Curry sat on a stationary bike in a crowded locker room.
As he rode, the vibe seemed eerily similar to a time years before the current iteration of the Warriors. On a night when Kevin Durant went down with a right calf strain, Curry put together a performance down the stretch reminiscent of his MVP past.
Prior to Durant's arrival in 2016, Curry was the do-everything superstar tasked with the lion's share of offensive responsibilities. With the NBA playoff second-round series shifting to Houston for Game 6 on Friday night, Curry, his team and everyone in the room knows who will be the focal point of the Warriors’ offense. It's just like old times.
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"I think when Kevin went out, Steph just went into a different mindset," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said following Wednesday's 104-99 victory at Oracle Arena. ”Kind of reminded me of four, five years ago before we had Kevin — we were heavily dependent on Steph generating a lot of our offense back then. He doesn't have as big of a burden on his shoulders right now."
Following Durant's injury, Curry scored 16 of his 25 points over the last 16 minutes of the game. More noteworthy than the scoring output was the way he was getting his points — through high pick-and-rolls and charges to the basket.
One minute after Durant went down, Curry dropped in a floater to give the Warriors a 70-69 lead. Five minutes later, he drained a 28-foot 3-pointer to give the defending champs another one-point lead. In the final minute, he cashed in two free throws, helping the Warriors build a six-point lead, keeping the Rockets at bay.
"We trust the man. I think everybody in this world trusts him with the ball in his hands," Warriors guard Klay Thompson said. "His track record has proven it. He's going to come up in the clutch."
Golden State Warriors
Durant's injury, while potentially costly for the Warriors, perhaps will rejuvenate a struggling Curry.
Entering Wednesday, Curry was averaging just 21.3 points on 39 percent shooting from the field, and 26.1 percent from 3-point range as he tried to battle off any remnants of a dislocated left middle finger. Prior to Durant's exit, Curry made just 4 of 14 from the field, struggling to find any rhythm. Following the injury, he made five of his next nine shots, possibly shaking out of his funk.
"It was a breakthrough," Curry said. "For sure."
With Durant most likely out for Game 6, the burden gets much steeper for Curry, in a way he has historically flourished. Three years ago, as the Warriors’ primary offensive threat, he averaged 30.1 points, 6.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds and a 31.6 usage rating on his way to a unanimous MVP season. The style of offense in Curry's 2015-16 season was similar to the offense played in the final moments of Wednesday's win.
"Yeah, that's always been a part of our attack," Curry said. "From Coach Kerr's first year, initiating the motion-type offense and moving bodies. Whoever has the ball, no matter if it’s off a pick-and-roll, we swing. Again, just make the defense work and just make decisions on that end of the floor."
Following the second question of his postgame availability, Warriors coach Steve Kerr, invoking the spirit of Liverpool soccer manager Jurgen Klopp, had unique high praise for Curry and the rest of the team.
"Our guys are f---ing giants," Kerr said. "That was an unbelievable victory tonight."
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In less than 48 hours, Kerr will need a similar performance from his players, with Curry leading the way, just like old times.
"He's fully capable of taking on that burden when necessary," Kerr said. "Tonight, it was necessary."