May 25, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) walks to the locker room after the game against the Houston Rockets in game four of the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs. at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The groans of a fanbase couldn’t be more audible.
Whether you were watching on television, listening on the radio, sharing a room with other fans or telepathically adjoined, the fall and flip of superstar Steph Curry was frighteningly clear. The Most Valuable Player and fulcrum for their championship hopes gave fans a feeling not felt before, even with an injury history so well-chronicled as Curry’s.
Maybe ever.
The Warriors had already came out extremely flat. The Rockets came out with the energy and production they sorely needed, limiting their opposition to 32 percent shooting in the first quarter while conversely, converting on 77 percent of their own shots.
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“They were ready to play, probably more ready than we were,” said head coach Steve Kerr said. “They were making shots from all over.”
May 25, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
8-for-9 from deep, doubling the Warriors’ rebound total and scoring a season-high 45 points in the first quarter had the Rockets already looking forward to another trip to Oakland. Pronounced dead at the scene after Game 3, Houston displayed a level of effort just seen in their last series, which saw them climb back from a 3-1 deficit against the Los Angeles Clippers.
It wasn’t how Kerr envisioned his team coming out of the gates in a closeout game, especially one of such magnitude. Early deficits aren’t uncommon for the 67-win behemoth, but a 23-point deficit after the first quarter was uncommon enough to cause a level of concern only seen last series against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The concern of an early deficit in Game 4 suddenly seemed insignificant with 5:52 left in the first half. Curry, chasing a driving Trevor Ariza, fell victim to a pump fake and as Curry landed on Ariza’s back before flipping and landing sharply on the back of his own hand and neck.
“I felt like I was in the air a long time,” said Curry following the game. He was right, and the terrifying tumble felt even longer for fans of not only the team but basketball fans worldwide. Curry has grown from a skinny rookie with ankle problems to a global superstar, and in his best season as a professional, it simply couldn’t end like this. Not for the Warriors, not for Curry and not for a fanbase that’s gone through so much to reach this point.
“In the air you have no control over yourself,” Curry went on to say. “It could have been a lot worse. I’m thankful.” The Warriors would feel plenty more uneasiness if Curry hadn’t miraculously come back with 5:58 left in the third quarter. His production was secondary to his presence on the floor, and it nearly paved the way for a miraculous comeback.
May 25, 2015; Houston, TX, USA;Credit: Ronald Martinez-Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports
However, it was James Harden who, after a disappointing 17-point (3-for-16) outing in Game 3, displayed the level of skill that nearly earned him the MVP. His patented step back, euro step and sheer determination were on full display, and it was marveling to watch. Curry’s dominance is flashier, but Harden’s is equally unassailable. After an embarrassing finish in Game 2 and a perturbing absence in Game 3, Harden proved his worth once again when his team needed it the most.
Immediately following Curry’s exit, the Warriors rallied and went on a run of their own. The Rockets became complacent, and the surrounding cast of Warriors produced an impressive quarter led by Klay Thompson’s best quarter in the playoffs: 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting, including four treys. Despite the valiant effort shown without their leader, the minds of the basketball world lied in the visitors’ locker room at the Toyota Center.
The shrieks heard after Curry’s spill were met with equal amounts of relief after Curry was seen walking, talking and running through the hallways of the arena shortly passing all concurrent tests. That same skinny kid from Davidson, who was once considered too brittle and weak to have any type of career in the NBA, recovered from one of the worst falls imaginable.
His team fell short in the end, even after cutting the lead down to eight points with 8:24 left in the game. The Warriors had their chances to cut the deficit even more and leave the Rockets with the same feeling their former opponent, the Clippers, know all too well. It wasn’t meant to be, but at 3-1, the health of Curry was and is the biggest story as this series moves onward.
“I’m disappointed we lost,” said Curry. “But all in all thankful that I came out of that relatively OK and was able to go back in there and try and give my team something,”
May 25, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
That something turned out to be everything, and Curry reiterated numerous times after the game that he’s fine, was cleared to play and will continue to be on the court. The Rockets came out hitting their shots, capitalizing off Warrior turnovers and damping any hopes of an NBA Finals berth on the road.
Oracle Arena will be the usual madhouse on Wednesday for Game 5, but the Warriors are now slightly more concerned (and contused). Unlike the Clippers, the Warriors have the defense to weather any storm and the offense to exploit any mistakes their opposition makes or their own system generates. It’s gotten them to this point, and until the Rockets give the Warriors any reason for concern, there’s no need to think they won’t be in the NBA Finals come June.
The scare fans felt with 5:58 left in the second quarter was another wake-up call, a reminder that nothing is guaranteed no matter how insurmountable the talent or how unbeatable the team is perceived to be. Curry is fine, and his team will surely feel the same way soon. It will take at least one more game, but for the first time all season, the game at hand hardly mattered.