Transcription
Last night's tough loss was followed by a good victory against Houston. Steph joins us here on Toota Warriors Postgame Live.
Chris Willen: "Z, K, D, Bon, Hills. Steph, what is happening?"
Steph: "He's looking around for the crowd. What's going on out there, Steph?"
Oh, he's getting some love from the fans! There it is, getting some dope love from Houston. They still love you in Houston, Steph! I thought they'd be booing you out there.
I don't think Steph has his headsets on quite yet. What is he waiting for? Is he taking it all in? It seems like it.
Hey, it looks like he's just soaking it in.
Alright, let's get rolling into the second half. Well, Steph Curry had a dynamic finish to this game. The Warriors got up to a big lead, like we've seen before. The Rockets stalled back in the second half, but they held on.
Another impressive game, Zena, where they didn't shoot the three-ball well. They shot under 40% from the field but found a way to win. Winning ugly is still a win.
I think this is a positive for the team because they're finding other ways to win when they don't play their A-game. Over the All-Star break and into the second half, I think it's going to be really important to incorporate Jimmy Butler's isolation play inside the three-point line and maintain that motion rhythm—two-point basketball on the perimeter.
Winning ugly, winning with resilience. That was a spirited comeback from Houston, who played a really ugly first half and then came back, got it together. This is what they do. Houston finds a way to generate energy within them to play defense, speed up their opponent, and get their opponent feeling a little frenetic. That's what they got out of Houston in the second half. The Warriors were able to hold them off. That's a big-time win for them.
Alright, let's go back down to Houston, to the Toyota Center, to Stephen Curry, who is standing by.
SE: "We were wondering. We thought they booed you all the time in Houston. They're showing you all types of love down there, despite causing them another nightmare. What's going on down there in Houston, Steph?"
Steph: "I don't know if y'all can see what I'm looking at right now, but literally half of the lower bowl is all of Dub Nation. It's kind of crazy to think about the love that we get down here. Like you said, there have been a lot of battles. This is a different team, but yeah, this is special for sure. It's really cool to see."
SE: "Taking it all in. When you think about the fact that you, Jimmy, and Draymond logged some serious minutes against Dallas, everyone was expecting you guys to sit out. What was the goal in playing tonight, and what message were you hoping to send?"
Steph: "We just wanted to go into the break with a win. It's kind of like a mental battle to get ready for this game. Quick turnaround, a tough game last night that we felt like we should have won. For us to come out with a lot of focus in the first half, try to keep the game simple, and play solid—not beat ourselves like we did last night. We gave ourselves a buffer. Obviously, Houston came back and played amazing and had a crazy comeback, but we played with focus down the stretch, executed on both ends. Once we started getting rebounds, we were able to close the deal. That's the way we're supposed to play. Just got to keep it consistent."
SE: "3-1 now with Jimmy Butler. A different look. All of a sudden, you guys are winning points off turnovers, getting to the free-throw line, and not as reliant on the three-point shot. What do you like so far with Jimmy Butler, and what do you want to see improve moving into the second half of the season after the All-Star break?"
Steph: "We're always just trying to continue to build chemistry, understand what he does well. You can't really rush him. The crazy thing is, he's still a little rusty. He would even tell you that. He's trying to get back in game shape. He didn't play consistently early in the season, so for him to get his legs underneath him and for us to understand what he does well—he dominates the paint, usually makes the right play, draws a crowd, and is a great passer. So if the game slows down, it's another option to run our offense through to try to create good shots and not be so one-dimensional like we were."
SE: "Jimmy Butler, a guy who just walked past you. He's played some good basketball since returning from injury. Moses Moody is starting to make his presence felt there."
SE: "We're going to let you go because we know you have a monster week ahead of you."
Steph: "Can't wait to head back home for All-Star Weekend. Absolutely ready to finally get off this road. Looking forward to the whole weekend for sure."
SE: "Absolutely, Steph. Safe travels, man."
Absolutely, Stephen Curry tonight with 27 points, a dagger, 35, and 13. He's just taking it all in.
That was a moment right there because you think about that building. When he was drafted by the Golden State Warriors, you wouldn't see all those blue jerseys everywhere on the road. Down in Houston, where they were in the Western Conference Finals, second playoff appearances, first playoff appearances, and he's standing there, and Dub Nation is still out in full effect.
It's just really cool to see a star like that still moved. You could see him taking it all in, wanting to take a moment to not only give appreciation for those there but feel that moment for himself. This is a guy going into his 11th All-Star, and it still doesn't get old for him, and it doesn't get old for us watching him do that.
Yeah, that's the passion and joy that Steph brings every night, which is another amazing quality about him. You know, it's one thing about his pregame ritual and his dedication and work ethic to get ready, but to enjoy it each and every night and enjoy the stuff outside the game—that's a true gift that Steph Curry has.
And Bonte, tonight once again, really impressive. Steph Curry knocking down threes, but I just think as a team—and Steph just mentioned at the end of his comments—not being one-dimensional, not relying on the three-point shot.
Actually, they haven't shot the three-ball really well since Jimmy Butler's been here, but they're 3-1, getting to the free-throw line almost 30 times a game, and importantly, shooting over 85%. This team was 30th in the league and was not getting there, so this is a huge change for the Warriors. It adds another dimension to their arsenal.
To me, you could call it winning ugly—get a win any way you can on the road—but to me, it's another way to win a basketball game. They're going to have their nights where they knock down threes and everything's rolling. They're going to automatically win those games.
A game like tonight, I'm not quite sure they win this game, you know, two weeks ago. 24-27 from the free-throw line, 89% tonight. Steph, eight of nine. That's the Jimmy Butler effect, and they're getting to the charity stripe, slowing down the game, setting up their half-court defense, and now playing from behind.
I thought that was very impressive on this road trip—their ability to get to the foul line and their ability to use Steph in the ways that he's supposed to be used, particularly outside of the three.
How many times, Molly, were we... [Music]
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