Stephen Curry conceded to taking a few glances at his parents in the stands as his stunning shooting display helped the Warriors overcome the Trail Blazers and his brother Seth in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
Tuesday's game at Oracle Arena saw the Currys become the first brothers to face off in a conference final. And it was the Warriors' two-time MVP who claimed first blood, hitting nine 3-pointers as he scored 36 in a 116-94 victory.
His performance came after he scored 33 in the second half of the Warriors' Game 6 win over the Rockets to close out a semifinal series in which he largely struggled and Golden State lost Kevin Durant to a calf injury.
Curry was able to maintain that momentum in Oakland despite having the distraction of his parents, Dell and Sonya, wearing split Warriors-Blazers jerseys to show their support for both sons.
"I caught myself a couple times looking up in the stands at my parents," Curry said. "I asked my mom: 'Who you with?' I saw her, when I hit a shot, stand up and cheer. But she was wearing Portland [gear].
It was a case of split loyalties, and split jerseys, for Dell and Sonya Curry
— Omnisport (@OmnisportNews) May 15, 2019
But it was Steph who got the better of brother Seth as the Warriors beat the Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the #NBA Western Conference Finals#DubNation #RipCity https://t.co/dhO8Qa82Om pic.twitter.com/Fi15ABdlPk
"I know what I'm capable of on the floor. The situation calls for me to be a little bit more aggressive and hopefully that'll continue.
"Obviously it's nice to see the ball go in. I didn't shoot the ball well for 4 1/2 games the last series and got off to a good start tonight.
"I want to maintain that. Every game is different, you've got to re-establish yourself. That's my perspective no matter how I play."
The Warriors' triumph again came in the absence of Durant, who remains sidelined with the calf strain suffered in Game 5 of the series against the Rockets.
Klay Thompson scored 26 points and Draymond Green added 12 with 10 rebounds, with the latter understanding that Curry carries the most importance to the Warriors while Durant is out.
"It's good to see Steph have a game like that at a time that obviously we need him most," Green said. "This series is going to get tougher and tougher."