NBA playoffs 2019: Warriors not worried about Stephen Curry’s shooting struggles vs. Rockets

E.Jay Zarett

NBA playoffs 2019: Warriors not worried about Stephen Curry’s shooting struggles vs. Rockets image

The Warriors believe Stephen Curry's recent slump will not last long.

The star guard has made just eight of his 32 3-point attempts in the first three games of Golden State’s second-round series against the Rockets. But, coach Steve Kerr said he thinks Curry will play well in Game 4 on Monday.

"He usually has a good game," Kerr said when asked about Curry’s response to a bad game (via ESPN). "He's just really, really competitive and he gets locked in, and he gets a little bit angry. And he comes out with a lot of focus and a lot of fight, so that's what we're expecting (Monday)."

Curry especially struggled in Golden State’s Game 3 loss to Houston. He tallied 17 points on 7-of-23 shooting and knocked down just two of his nine attempts from behind the arc. Golden State forward Draymond Green, however, said the team was not concerned.

"I think Steph has a good balance of beating himself up and just moving on with life," Green said. "And I think that's important. It's part of the reason he's the shooter that he is. … Steph will miss four in a row and then heat-check the fifth one. Like from 35 feet. I don't know if that's good or bad, but it (works) for him.

“As a competitor I know he's [angry] with himself and I think that will bode well for us. Probably it's going to lead to some aggressiveness, and we like when he's aggressive, so I think he'll be fine."

Curry also missed a wide-open dunk late in overtime of Game 3 as the Warriors went on to fall 126-121.

"It just wasn't my night," Curry said after the loss. "That [missed dunk] was pretty self-explanatory right there. … I'm out there playing. Got to produce, and it just didn't happen tonight.”

Golden State and Houston will tipoff Game 4 on Monday at 9:30 p.m. ET. The Warriors enter the matchup with a 2-1 series lead.

 

E.Jay Zarett