Warriors star Stephen Curry knew there had been plenty of conversations about his lackluster showing in Golden State's second-round series against the Rockets. Heading into a pivotal Game 6 on Friday night without Kevin Durant, the lights were shining even brighter than usual on Curry's No. 30 jersey.
Despite shooting only 39.4 percent from the field and 26.3 percent from 3-point range against Houston prior to Game 6, Curry's confidence never wavered. He certainly took his time, but Curry delivered the knockout blow when the Warriors needed their two-time MVP to show up.
MORE: Chris Paul kicked Curry off practice court before Game 6
"I've heard a lot of noise this series, for sure," Curry said after the Warriors won in Houston, eliminating the Rockets and advancing to the Western Conference finals. "I'll just leave it at that. Whether it's positive, negative, whatever the case is, I know what I'm capable of.
"It's bigger than me, so I just, I don't get caught up in that. I don't need any extra motivation."
Curry's line in the box score doesn't jump out with 50-plus points or a triple-double, but his playoff performance against the Rockets was one of the finest of his career. Here are four stats to explain why...
Zero
Yeah... this didn't start well. Curry was held scoreless in the first half for the first time since 2012, shooting 0-of-5 from the field in just 12 minutes. He got intro foul trouble early, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr had to throw in little-used point guard Quinn Cook, much to Curry's chagrin.
Steph speaks on Steve Kerr's decision to take him out of the game after getting two fouls and how Kerr always "keeps it real." #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Av0Ror7LZ1
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 11, 2019
Give credit to fellow "Splash Brother" Klay Thompson, who kept Golden State alive with 11 points after Curry's third foul and 21 points overall in the first half. That set the stage for Curry to find his form late in the game.
33
What a difference a short trip to the locker room can make. Curry came out blazing in the final two quarters, scoring 33 points in a variety of ways.
| Game 6 stats | First half | Second half |
| Points | 0 | 33 |
| Field goals | 0-5 | 9-15 |
| 3-point field goals | 0-2 | 4-9 |
| Free throws | 0-0 | 11-11 |
Curry scored more than 50 percent of the Warriors' second-half total (61) and launched nine more shots than any other Golden State player (Andre Iguodala, 3-of-6).
23
The fourth quarter turned into Curry's personal playground with the six-time All-Star dropping 23 points on the Rockets in the final frame. Curry went 6-of-8 from the field, 3-of-5 from the 3-point line and a perfect 8-of-8 at the free-throw line. He accounted for more than 60 percent of the Warriors' points in the period (36) and nearly outscored the Rockets by himself (26).
Over the last 20 postseasons, Curry's 23-point fourth quarter is second only to Allen Iverson, who scored 26 points in the fourth back in 2001 against the Bucks.
Stephen Curry scored all 33 of his points in the second half, including 23 in the fourth quarter, both playoff career highs.
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) May 11, 2019
16
This might be the most impressive number from Curry's big night. Over the course of the final five minutes of Game 6, Curry scored 16 points — and so did the Rockets as a team.
| Final five minutes | Curry | Rockets |
| Points | 16 | 16 |
| Field goals | 3-4 | 6-13 |
| 3-point field goals | 2-3 | 4-8 |
| Free throws | 8-8 | 0-0 |
Any noise left? Any chatter about Curry not coming through in the clutch?
Didn't think so.
