Steph happens.
Two-time NBA MVP and 2015-16 scoring champion Stephen Curry had a signature — forget that, customary — performance Wednesday night, dropping a team-high 28 points to lead the Warriors to a 27-point victory that evened their Western Conference finals series against the Thunder at 1-1.
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Curry's flourish (shoutout to @CuffsTheLegend) included a frantic flurry in the third quarter when he scored 15 points in a 1:58 span. It showed why he's undoubtedly the greatest shooter of all time (Larry Bird fans, please fall back). That said, you have to look deeper into the box score to see how the Warriors snapped back after a demoralizing Game 1 defeat and what they'll need to do if they want to make the NBA Finals for a second consecutive season.
While their leader scintillated, the Warriors' bench dominated the Thunder, outscoring its opposition 50-29.
Curry's fellow Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, one of only three players to average 27 points or better during the postseason, scored only 15, his worst offensive output of the playoffs. Draymond Green, Golden State's other all-star, added only 10, his second-worst night in two months.
And none of that mattered to a team that feels comfortable playing 11 guys. Remember, Ian Clark logged significant minutes down the stretch when Curry was injured in their first-round series against the Rockets. They got double-digit scoring efforts from regular contributors such as Andre Iguodala (14) and Festus Ezeli (12). Heck, even Marresse Speights broke the Thunder off with 13 points in nine minutes, knocking down both of his 3-point attempts after scoring just a point in the series opener Monday and five in the series-clincher against the Trail Blazers on May 11.
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That's really what propelled the Warriors to their record-setting 73-9 regular-season record. Sure, coach Steve Kerr can depend on Curry and Thompson like direct deposits on the first and 15th of every month, but he also knows that somehow, some way, somebody on his bench is going to come through in a major way.
He has prepared his reinforcements for it. He showed trust in them by giving them meaningful minutes in spurts throughout the season. They also had time to gel and gain much-needed experience while playing in the fourth quarter of all those blowout victories while their top dogs rested.
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First-year Thunder coach Billy Donovan only wishes he'd been afforded such a luxury.
Kevin Durant (29 points) Russell Westbrook (16 points, 12 assists) might (read: are) be the most lethal duo in the league. Once you get beyond that two-headed monster, however, OKC's starting lineup consists of Andre Roberson, Serge Ibaka and Steven Adams. That trio went a combined 7 for 17 Wednesday and no one on the Thunder's bench scored more than seven points.
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But what do you expect from a bunch that's headlined by Dion Waiters, Enes Kanter and Randy Foye? Those cats are like a queen of diamonds in a hand of Spades. If you're bidding books, they're only a "possible."
The Warriors needed to make a statement after dropping Game 1, and they did so, loud and clear: "We're too deep."