The pressure of Steph Curry's pursuit of Ray Allen's all-time 3-point record is getting to the Warriors, so coach Steve Kerr decided to have a little fun with reporters after Golden State's win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
"I'm resting Steph tomorrow," Kerr told reporters, referring to the Warriors' game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.
Kerr said it with a straight face while reporters laughed. Then he gave them a wry smile.
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When reporters pressed Kerr to clarify if he was serious or not, Kerr made sure it was known he was joking.
"There's a good chance Steph will play tomorrow," Kerr said with a laugh.
Curry entered Monday needing six 3-pointers to tie Ray Allen for the most in NBA history, and he finished with five in the Warriors' thrilling 102-100 win over the Pacers.
Curry's first 3-pointer against the Knicks on Tuesday night will be the 2,973rd of his career, pulling him into a tie with Allen. His second make of the night at MSG will push Steph into a league of his own.
Golden State Warriors
Last week, there had been rumors the Warriors might rest Curry against the Pacers if he was close to breaking the record so that he could do it at MSG on national television.
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But after Curry only made three 3-pointers Saturday in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Warriors decided he would play Monday. While he scored a team-high 26 points against the Pacers, he came up short of breaking Allen's record.
Curry loves the bright lights of New York City, so expect him to get the record early against the Knicks.
Even on the second night of a back-to-back and the Warriors' third game in four nights, there's no way Curry would rest in a marquee game like the one coming up Tuesday night. Nice try, Steve.